


More Time

by RheaLorde



Series: Earth and Stars [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Wonder Woman (2017)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-11
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-12 23:45:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 83,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11172597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RheaLorde/pseuds/RheaLorde
Summary: Based on a tumblr prompt:But imagine what if diana lives some years, maybe hundreds or thousands years after present protecting the world, and then in a future year, she somehow meets this man, who looks like her first ever man, her first ever love, the one and only captain steve trevor,and that man is captain james kirk.





	1. Chapter 1

Diana sat near the front of a classroom looking over the cadets. 

"Today we will have a guest lecturer. Dr. Diana Prince is Starfleet's top ranking military historian. In addition she sits on three Federation Boards, and is the chairwoman of The Federation Council on Escalation Deterrence. Today she's come to speak to you all on Strategic Military Theory."

Diana smiled, thanked the professor, and walked to the podium. 

"Who here can tell me the three main schools of thought used in Starfleet Military strategy?"

Several hands shot up. She scanned the crowd, trying to decide which to choose. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another hand lazily make its way up. It's owner is sat near the back. 

Her brow furrowed when she saw him. Her eyesight was perfect, but none the less she squinted, a human tick she had picked up after several centuries. 

His face was far too young. His posture far too casual. But the bright blue eyes that glinted at her were identical to the ones that she saw so many years ago, staring up at her from the sand. 

"Yes, cadet..."

"Kirk." He flashed a charming smile and then rattled off, "The three main strategies are Deterrence, Aggression, and Evasion."

"Yes. That's correct." She had expected... more. Perhaps something more profound, but then again she realized she had not specifically asked for elaboration. 

"Which is the most commonly used, and why is it a better long term strategic maneuver?"

She looked to the corner where the boy sat, but he had shlumped back in his chair and was whispering to the man next to him, who looked extremely annoyed. 

One of the many other eager students answered her question, and from there they moved into a discussion on the evolution of warfare and what can be learned from it today. 

The boy made no more comments. In fact, at one point he appeared to doze off. The man next to him noticed after a few minutes and poked him. If her hearing was right, he muttered something about, "not borrowing my notes, AGAIN."

After thirty minutes, the entire class had either engaged with the discussion or was at least clearly aware of what was being discussed. The boy, however, had taken to doodling on some scrap paper. 

It was clear what he had done at the beginning of class. Answer one question, and then hope the teacher would ignore him for the next hour. It was a good strategy, one she guessed he had luck with usually. But unfortunately for him, his face had been her imperceptible focus from the moment she saw it. 

"Cadet Kirk," she said suddenly, "perhaps you can answer what actions you would take in our hypothetical scenario."

His eyes flashed up from his paper with a glint of annoyance, but then his brow softened and a smirk spread over his lips. 

"Disabling their warp drive would be the obvious answer."

"You disagree with Cadet Michaels on their plan of taking out their weapons systems?"

"Well," he said, lounging with his legs and arms stretching out and then resting his hands behind his head, "if you want to die I think it's a great strategy."

"Cadet, if you intend to be rude, you need to at least back up your evaluation."

"Well the particular type of Warbird you have up there," Kirk brandished a finger towed the screen behind her, "doesn't have powerful enough weapons systems to typically do any crippling damage. In fact the average star fleet vessel's shields should withstand its fire for a good 10 minutes before any damage is more than cosmetic. Those are built for speed, which means the first thing it will try and do is get away and then come back with a ship with bigger guns. Then you're double flanked, and really who wants that?" He rocked back in his chair, looking pleased with himself. "So, you take out the warp drive. Then the ship is as good as dead."

"A thorough analysis, certainly. And one I'm sure Starfleet would find no fault in. However it concerns me you suggested no attempt to contact the ships crew."

"They're Klingons. I think it's fine if we just shoot them."

"I would suggest that it is never fine to attack without first attempting to even look your enemy in the eye."

"They're Klingons. It doesn't matter. They're just going to tell you how they're going to kill you and that you're slime or something."

"Perhaps. But what if the people inside aren't Klingons?" posed Diana. 

"Why would anyone other than a Klingon be flying a Bird of Prey?" asked Kirk, rolling his eyes. 

She looked at him for a moment. He was so young. Something pulled at her heart as she really looked at his face. It lacked wisdom, or perhaps just crowsfeet. She didn't like it. It was wrong. Out of place. But nonetheless, undeniably Steve's. 

She didn't want to look at him anymore, so she dropped her point and moved on. 

When the hour had passed, she concluded her lecture, encouraging the students to continue in peace whenever possible. 

The boy walked out, and she watched him leave, assuming he wouldn't turn around. This proved to be inaccurate because a few seconds later he was looking back at her, flashing a smile, and winking. 

Her brow turned into a scowl. 

"Professor Halebert?" Diana asked, "That Cadet, Kirk I believe his name was-"

"Ugh. A pain in my ass is his name." Muttered Haleburt. He turned around to see her raised eyebrow. "Sorry ma'am. I just mean he's the smartest student in all of my classes. Maybe even here at the academy. But he does whatever he pleases, and never deals with that many consequences. Captain Pike is... fond of him." He sighed. "I think he's trying to find his father in him." 

"His father?" asked Diana. 

"George Kirk. Died in command twenty or so years ago in the Kelvin incident." 

Diana knew of this. She nodded and let it go. 

Walking back to her office, part of her wondered if she was simply losing her memory. When she opened the door, she walked to the shelf that held several framed personal photos, including one toward the back in black and white. 

She wasn't losing her memory. It was him.


	2. Chapter 2

In 2225, George Kirk met Winona Carl at a bar in Iowa. It was a typical enough meeting, one that had happened everyday for thousands of years. Two people met, and realized they would probably like to meet again. And then again. And so they did. 

Before that, Winona’s parents had been two professors at the University of Michigan who had finally gotten married after no less than seven years of both of them being too shy to ask the other on a date. That was in 2203. 

Her father, Albert, had been adopted by Cheryl and Naomi, a couple living in Chicago in 2167. 

And back and back the linage went until it found a family by the name of Trevor living California. They were the children of settlers who had crossed the plains at the end of the Gold Rush. They had three sons. The oldest, born in 1877, was Harry. Steve was born in 1882, and James followed shortly after in 1884. 

The parents would only see grandchildren from their youngest, as Harry would come down with polio at the age of 9 and wouldn't see 10, and Steve their middle son, would be lost to The Great War before he could have any children. 

But James, James would have no less than 10 children. 

If you asked Mr. Spock the reasoning for the unsettling resemblance between Captain Steve Trevor and James T. Kirk, he would assert, “It is simply a highly improbable genetic anomaly.”

Lieutenant Uhura would smile and say, “Sometimes the universe just wants to right a wrong.”

Ensign Chekov would become derailed and tell you the story about how the word doppelgänger was actually a Russian word, however it was stolen by Prussian invaders. 

Helmsman Sulu would likely just shrug. 

Doctor McCoy would yell about how he specialized in internal medicine and was, “not a damned geneticist.”

Perhaps any of those answers would be the correct one. Perhaps none of them would be. But the fact of the matter was James T. Kirk and Steve Trevor were as genetically similar as if they had been born twins.

In the end, the how didn't matter. What mattered was the two people that would be affected by this strange occurrence for years to come. 

 

“What'd you think of that teacher, huh?” Kirk grinned at Bones. “I think she liked me.”

“I think she was annoyed that you were audibly snoring during her lecture.” Lenord had bags under his eyes from his last 14 hour rotation. He was in no mood for Jim’s bull shit. Well, he was never in the mood. 

“Oh come on, she kept looking at me!”

“She did not.” Bones rolled his eyes. 

“Ok well maybe not the whole time but there were a few glances, I'm telling you.”

“You're an idiot. She's clearly a genius who has done more in a year than you will probably do in your whole life.” Bones grumbled. “Don't flatter yourself.”

“Yeah, about that, how old do you think she is? Late twenties, early thirties, tops?” His face crinkled. “How on earth is she on any Starfleet Councils? Aren't they all 800 years old or something?”

“What does it matter, Jim? If anything it's just another reason why she would never be _looking_ ,” Bones drawled in mockery, “at some sleeping cadet in the back of her class.”

“Do you think she's part Vulcan?” he asked, undeterred by the doctor’s observation.

“I don't think there are any part vulcans.”

“That can't be true.”

“They tend to keep to themselves.” Bones shrugged. “Unlike some species.” He glared at Kirk. 

“Ok look I swear, that was the last time I'm ever going to ask you to see if I have Bajoran STI.”

“I notice how you include no other races in that statement.”

“Really?” He grimaced. “I was hoping you wouldn't.”

“Jim,” he said, suddenly serious. “You can't keep doing this. Pike can only cover for you so long. Grow up.”

Kirk blinked at him, but said nothing. 

“I have to get back to the med building. See you at dinner.”

Kirk opened his mouth, closed it, and then snapped out of the daze his words had put him in. “Yeah! See you then!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finished (ish) the outline for the whole thing and because of that I had to change a few words in one sentence in the last chapter that actually didn't fit. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't say what changed, but if you started this fic before June 13th, you may want to reread the last chapter. Or maybe it doesn't matter and no one will notice. Anyways... ON WE GO.

Diana chewed on her lower lip as she stared at her computer. 

What she really wanted was to talk with her mother. Strange, how even though it had been well over three hundred years since she had left her home, that desire for maternal guidance hadn't ever truly gone away. 

But Hippolyta wasn't there to give her an answer as to why the first man she had ever known had somehow popped into her life. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the scientific answers that she might be able to find on her computer, but her mother understood magic and fate and forces that tended to be ignored by humans these days. Ignored by humans and ignored by her. 

She sighed, shut her eyes, and said, “Computer, look up Cadet James T. Kirk.”

She waited a good minute before opening her eyes, even though the low whistle that the computer had made right after her request indicated the file was ready. 

She had tried to brace herself for the punch to her gut his face would cause. This annoyed her. She shouldn't feel like this, after all, she saw Steve’s face almost every day because of the pictures in her office. To be fair though, there were several that sat on that shelf, and she didn't make a point of regularly studying any of them. 

She opened her eyes, but didn't look at the screen. Instead she turned to look at the pictures on the shelf. One was a wedding photo with a large man and red haired woman. She stood next to the bride in a deep red dress. The best man wore a half smile, which for him was a grin. 

Another photo was of her and two other women, all in baseball caps with the NASA logo on them, making ridiculous faces at the camera. 

She scanned these and the others, finally looking at the black and white one toward the back that she had pulled out the day before. 

A soft smile spread across her lips as she remembered that day in Germany.

After a few minutes she returned to her computer. There looking up at her was the file on James Tiberius Kirk. Born in 2233, he was now 22 years old. He has enlisted a month ago after being recruited out of Iowa by Captain Pike. He had quite the record of petty crimes and misdemeanors.

She asked, “Computer, how far does Cadet Kirk’s known ancestry line date back too?”

“The oldest known ancestor for James Kirk was born in 2073.”

She wasn't surprised. Massive amounts of records were lost during World War III. But this meant that if he was some distant relative of Steve, there would be no way for her to know. 

She touched the name George Kirk under the heading “Father.” While she remembered the Kelvin incident, she was admittedly not overly familiar with the details. She was curious what was so impressive about George Kirk that Pike would see any wisdom in putting a criminal with no real military background on a command track. 

She scanned George’s file until she found a line reading, “The Kelvin Incident.”

_On Stardate 2233.04 the USS Kelvin, while on mission 75,000 km from the Klingon border, was attacked by an unknown ship. That ship, possessing some kind of advanced weaponry unknown to the federation, destroyed the Kelvin in a matter of minutes. However, most of the crew survived because of George Kirk. After assuming command when Captain Robau died aboard the enemy vessel, Kirk managed to evacuate the crew, including his wife Winona who was in labor with their child (Kirk, James T.). Realizing the enemy ship would fire upon the escape pods, Kirk attempted to set a collision course with the ship in an attempt to buy them all enough time to get away. However the autopilot had been destroyed, so, in the highest Starfleet tradition, he stayed aboard the ship to pilot it manually. His sacrifice saved over 200 people._

Diana rocked back in her chair.

So there it was. The thing Pike was looking for. Oddly enough, what was described in George’s file sounded much more like Steve than his son, who appeared to have inherited none of his father’s character.

She scowled. Pike was a fool to think that simply because George Kirk was this boy's father that there was anything to him. Or perhaps she was only telling herself that because she didn't want to start looking for traces of Steve in the boy.

It was a coincidence, nothing more. 

She had stopped believing in anything more than that years ago. 

But that desire to talk to her mother, the flicker of possibility that it may be something else stuck in her mind. 

She considered reaching out to T’Aleh, a friend of hers that was a Vulcan High Priestess. Perhaps she would provide a better balance of science and myth.

Even if she couldn't, T’Aleh was one of the few people who she felt like she could be honest with. While she didn't know everything about Diana, she knew that she was older than she looked, and that she had a history not contained in her Starfleet files. She had always taken this kind of information in stride, so if she was going to admit to what was happening to someone, she seemed the natural fit. 

“Computer, contact T’Aleh at the Vulcan temple in Arizona.”


	4. Chapter 4

_A wrinkled old woman lay at her feet. She was bleeding. Diana didn't try and help her._

_“You lied!” she screamed at her. “I don't matter!”_

“Next stop: Coltrain Station”

Diana jolted awake. The train from San Francisco to Airozina was only an hour long, but she had not been sleeping well for the past few nights and had drifted off shortly after sitting down. But she had arrived at her stop so she shook off her dream and pulled her bag down from the overhead compartment. 

Waiting on the platform was a Vulcan woman, dressed in traditional robes. When she saw Diana, she nodded to her and raised her hand in the Ta’al. Diana grinned at her and raised her hand in return. 

“T’Aleh, it's so good to see you!” 

T’Aleh nodded, returning her hand inside her robe. “As it has been several months since our last meeting, I was pleased with the opportunity to meet with you.”

“Oh, I know it's been far too long. I hope all is well at the temple?” Diana asked, falling into step beside T’Aleh who had begun to walk away from the train.

“All functions are performing adequately,” she said.

“Wonderful to hear. And I hope all else is well in your life?” asked Diana. 

“Yes,” T’Aleh responded. Diana, though she came from a family and culture filled with passion, she didn’t mind the extreme contrast of the restraint showed by Vulcans and most Vulcans were not perturbed by her own expressiveness since they regarded the rest of her behavior to be highly logical. Diana always laughed at this, since she saw her own actions as often driven by emotion, but none the less took the compliment when it was given.

“Diana, as I was not the one who reached out for a meeting, I am assuming we are not meeting to discuss the circumstances in my life.”

Diana smiled. A Vulcan was never one for small talk and T’Aleh was no exception. 

“Is there a place we could go to sit for a while? It's a private matter that I'd rather not discuss in the middle of a crowd.”

T’Aleh nodded. “I have tea at my home if you would be agreeable to that venue for discussion.”

“That sounds wonderful.” She continued to smile at T’Aleh. “It really is so good to see you.”

A few minutes later, after a brief transporter trip, they were walking into T’Aleh’s home. There was no grass on the lawn, but a variety of desert plants grew in perfectly manicured patches. The house was of a simple design, one floor, with lots of windows and open spaces. The inside smelled of a combination of spices and incense. 

T’Aleh went to the kitchen and began preparing the tea (she did not enjoy replicated tea, only freshly brewed), all while asking questions about certain treaties and negations going on at Headquarters. 

“And do you see the negotiations on the neutral zone border improving anytime soon?” asked T’Aleh. 

“Unfortunately, no,” Diana sighed, “but I am ever the optimist.”

“Optimism is not a logical pursuit, however I am aware it has served you well in the past, so I shall not dissuade you from that mentality.” She handed Diana a cup of tea and lead her to a table and chairs on a patio off the back of the house. “I appreciate the update. I've received several inquiries the past several days, and had intended to contact you shortly. This relieves that need.”

“T’Aleh, you can contact me whenever you like. Even if you do not have Federation inquiries.” She took a sip of her tea as she sat down, facing the open vista of red rock.

“If there is nothing to speak on, it would be illogical to contact you.” T’Aleh asserted. “Which brings us to why you have contacted me. What is troubling you?”

“Now, I've been perfectly pleasant this whole time, what makes you say I'm troubled?”

“You have requested a private meeting with a friend and spiritual leader.” T’Aleh sipped her own tea. “It is logical to assume you search for guidance.”

“Mmm.” Diana sat in silence for a few seconds, trying to think of how to begin. “T’Aleh, you are aware that I have…” she paused, “an interesting past.”

“I am aware that it exists, however I am not aware of its details.”

“Most people aren't,” she sighed. “It's a little unbelievable, especially for humans.”

“It is good, then, that I am not human.”

Diana nodded. “How familiar are you with Earth’s myths?”

“That is a broad question, as different human cultures all have their own. I am aware of current religions practiced, however I realize some humans may take offense to the word myth being applied to their faith systems.” 

“What about the ancient Greeks and Romans?”

“I believe they had a pantheon of gods commonly referred to as the Olympians.” T’Aleh looked to Diana, who nodded. “They were ruled by Zeus who was also their father and creator. The myth is one of the most popular on Earth. It continues to affect language and culture even after it has passed on as a dead religion as it has been used for a variety of types of storytelling throughout the years.”

“Well, do I have a story for you,” Diana chuckled. “We’ve been friends for what, 20 years now?”

“That is an accurate estimate.”

“Do I look any different from twenty years ago?” Diana raised an eyebrow with her question.

T’Aleh responded without having to study her. “No. You have shown none of the human signs of aging, at least not perceptible to the naked eye. I also remember you have mentioned to me events you have witnessed that put your age at minimum 104 earth years.”

“And your conclusions from this?” Diana asked, playfully imitating the serious tone of a Vulcan.

“Only two logical options have presented themselves to me. One, I am aware of a variety of genetic testing done in Earth’s mid 21st century. Perhaps some of these experiments could have produced a human with heightened longevity.”

“The eugenics programs?” Diana shook her head. “Those created smarter, faster, healthier humans, sure, but they would have lived 50, maybe 60 years beyond the human average.”

“Then in that case my second option would be the logical conclusion. You are not human.”

“We have a winner.”

T’Aleh looked at her, waiting for Diana to elaborate. 

“My name is not Diana Prince. That was given to me as an alias in 1918, and I've used it since then.” She took in a deep breath. “My full title is Diana, Princess of Themyscria, Daughter of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons…” she met T’Aleh’s eyes for the last part, “and Zeus, King of the Gods.”

T’Aleh raised an eyebrow, higher than Diana had ever seen it go. Diana laughed at the response. “Do you not believe me?”

“To assume you are lying would be illogical, as I have never had evidence to indicate you to have reason to.” T’Aleh’s eyebrow returned to its normal place. “It is simply a fascinating thing to discover, that this human myth is historical fact.”

“Well not all the stories they tell are true.”

“Logical. Many contradict each other.” T’Aleh leaned in ever so slightly. “What is an accurate account?” 

Diana sighed, “I can tell you my story, and mine alone. Too much of my own people’s history has been lost to me to be able to promise its accuracy. And even then, some things are only what I have been told, and am not sure of their truth.”

Diana braced herself to tell her history, something she had not done in many years.

“I was born on an island called Themyscira, inhabited by the Amazons, almost 2,000 years ago. The Amazons were created by Zeus to defend humanity and persuade their hearts toward peace. While they never wish for violence, they are a warrior society, fierce and deadly if need be. No men exist on this island, and before Zeus died, he hid it from the eyes of the world, so it would not be found. The first 1,400 or so years of my life were spent on this island, knowing nothing other than paradise. My mother didn’t tell me what I was, fearing for my safety.”

“What do you mean by, ‘what you were?’” inquired T’Aleh.

“Zeus and the rest of the gods had died when Aries, the god of war, had turned on them, because he believed humanity to be evil. He tried to convince the Olympians of this by pushing humanity toward its worst self, but my father didn't accept this. Ares killed them all, including Zeus. He lived on, however he was injured and in his weakened state, disappeared for a long time. Before he died, Zeus made sure that there would be a way to destroy Aries. He left a weapon called ‘The God Killer.’” Diana looked over at T’Aleh. “Me.”

“It wasn't until I left Themyscira in 1918 that I discovered what I was.” She continued. “I left because by sheer accident, a man crashed into the waters around the island, and when I pulled him out he told me of World War I, or as it was known then, The War to End All Wars.”

“An inaccurate name.” T’Aleh observed. 

“Indeed.” Diana went on. “I left because I believed it was my duty as an Amazon to defend humanity, and that Aries was likely the cause of the war. I did find him, however he was not what I thought. He was not controlling humanity, as I was convinced he was. They were killing themselves. They were weak and vengeful all on their own. But,” Diana paused as she looked over the vast expanse in front of her. “They were also beautiful and kind.”

“Humans do occupy an illogical paradox in their behavior,” agreed T’Aleh.

“Aries told me what I really was, what my power was, and tried to convince me to help him purge the earth of humanity. But for whatever faults they have, I saw humans as being inherently worth saving, so I killed Aries instead.”

“You are indeed the God Killer, then.”

“I suppose I am.” Diana ran her finger around the edge of her mug. “I stayed and fought for them. I helped where I could and tried to defend those who could not defend themselves. In the early 21st century, I began working with a group of other people known as the Justice League.” Diana looked at T’Aleh again. “What I'm about to tell you won't be found in our history books.”

“Why not?”

“It was erased. I'll get to that.” Diana bit her lip. “Vulcan’s are actually not Earth’s first major known contact with a species from another planet. Our first contact was with Krypton.”

“Krypton?” Her eyebrow was raised again. “That planet died along with its inhabitants years ago.”

“Well, a few escaped, one specifically. Kal-El, or as he was known on earth, Superman. See, his genetic makeup interacted with our sun in a strange way that resulted in having a variety of super human abilities, hence the name, although most of us who knew him called him Clark, the name his adoptive earth parents had given him when they found him as a child. He, like me, was sent here with a purpose from his parents. Defend humanity.”

“I see what would have drawn you together.”

Diana nodded. “Around the same time there was a surge in what we called meta humans, humans who, either by scientific or genetic accident began to possess their own kind of abilities outside the human norm. Some used these for selfish purposes, but some wished to help, so they joined Clark and me in our efforts to defend earth from itself.” 

“So the Justice League was a collection of meta humans, a god, and a Kryptonian? Correct?”

“And one regular guy with too much time and money.”

T’Aleh looked confused. 

“Bruce.. he… oh I don't need to explain Bruce Wayne.” Diana rolled her eyes. “Anyways, we worked together for years. And then came World War III. The Justice League ended up taking the side of the Anti-enhancement countries, since we saw the programs the other side was pushing to be too close to ethnic cleansing. Neither side was perfect though, don't get me wrong. The Pro-enhancement countries saw us as a threat, because a group of enhanced humans was that was trusted by the global community at large was advocating for their disbandment. They wanted us to be their poster children for why enhancement was a good thing, but we were ended up pushing the opposite.”

“I imagine that made you a priority target.” T’Aleh said. If Diana hadn't known better, she would have sworn there was a hint of sadness, maybe even compassion behind her neutral expression. 

“Yeah. By 2040, they had already killed a third of us. But it wasn't enough. They needed people to stop believing in us, so they created a massive erasure campaign. Superman, Wonder Woman, that's what they called me, The Flash, we were all a made up hoax, created by the Anti-enhancement coalition. We were propaganda to make people believe that enhancement belonged to only a select few. That the rest of the world didn't need it. They ramped up their attacks. They found a way to kill meta humans en masse. Eventually it was just me, Bruce, and Clark. They took out Bruce with a bomb when they discovered where he was hiding in 2049. They killed Lois, Clark’s wife, in 2050. They were smart that way. Her death sent him reeling, and by the time they caught up to him a few months later, I think part of him wanted to die. They beheaded him,” Diana blinked back tears, “with a sword made out of Kryptonite. They destroyed his body, to hide the evidence he ever existed.”

Diana put her face in her hands for a moment. She then put them on the table, where, to her surprise, saw another hand reach out and touch the back of her palm, softly and only for a moment. 

“I feel your grief.” T’Aleh offered. 

“Thank you,” Diana whispered, her voice cracking. 

“How were you able to evade them, if I may ask?”

“They couldn't kill me.” Diana breathed in, composing herself. “Only a god can kill a god, and with Aries being the last of the Olympians, gone almost two hundred years prior, they had nothing to fight me with. Well, not physically that is. In 2038, I had been told in a prophecy that it was not my destiny to simply kill Aries, but to defend humankind from war itself.” Diana let out a snort. “Needless to say, after watching 600 million people die, I stopped believing that was true. After Clark died, I kept trying for a little while longer to help, but I could not force them to stop fighting. Besides, most of the world at that point had stopped believing that I even existed. I didn't know what to do, so I stopped trying to end the war. I still believed it was my duty to defend humanity, but I didn't do it as Wonder Woman. I would find areas too dangerous for others to go into, and try and pull out civilians. Small towns and villages that had been ravaged, things like that. The war finally ended in 2053, and for years, I just traveled around, trying to find small places to help. I was lost, and heartbroken.”

“I cannot imagine what it would be to witness such a war.”

“Well, you,” she waved over at her, “I mean, Vulcan showed up about ten years later. Humanity began to rebuild, we figured out light speed travel, and our new official first contact was made.”

“I looked up your Starfleet record once. It was before our first encounter, and I was trying to educate myself to better prepare for our meeting. It indicated that you were never an enlisted officer, however since you had sat on at least one Federation council since 2182, you were inducted into Starfleet command in 2196 and technically hold the rank of Vice Admiral.”

“That is true. I was working as a professor of military history at Oxford back around 2151 when they first started to create a coalition. Is saw inherent value in what they were trying to do, so I began publically advocating for its support with a variety of earth's governments. I was well regarded in the academic community, so I tried to take some of that influence into the public sphere. The Federation asked me to join the Council on Interplanetary Strategic Defence in 2182, which I happily did. I've been with them ever since.”

“And no one has ever inquired after your age? Your achievements?” T’Aleh asked. 

Diana shrugged. “You've known me for twenty years, and never asked. I generally keep a low profile. Or at least lower than my days as Wonder Woman. I'm not a household name. I still have to be introduced to people. I think those who do notice assume I might be mixed with another species or, like you did, think I came from the eugenics programs. Either way, it would be an impolite inquiry in most people’s minds. I'm good at my job, and not particularly power hungry, so people don't worry about me.”

T’Aleh was quiet for a moment. Finally she said, “Diana, you have still not explained yourself.”

Diana furrowed her brow. She had just done more explaining than she had in over 200 years. 

“As to why you choose now to seek my council?” 

“Oh.” Diana had gotten so caught up in the emotion of finally revealing herself to someone, she had almost forgotten the face that had spurred this visit. Her stomach sank. “Um… well… I was teaching a seminar the other day and I saw a cadet…” She swallowed. “I told you, I left Themyscira because a man crashed there.”

“Accidentally.” There was something in T’Aleh’s voice when she said this, but Diana couldn't figure out what it was.

“Yes. Accidentally. Anyways, he was the first man I ever knew. The first man I ever…” her voice trailed off. 

“Loved?”

Diana nodded. 

“And what does this cadet have to do with him?” she asked. 

Diana leaned in. “T’Aleh, it’s him. It's him exactly. I mean, not exactly… he's too young, barely an adult, but it's him. I swear.”

“What did he do to make you think he was this person from your past?”

“What? No, he didn't do anything. He's nothing like Steve, he… he looks like him. Not similar to him, exactly like him. It's like he fell out of time.”

“I see.” T’Aleh thought for a moment. “Diana, Vulcans believe in the Katra, the mind being passed on after death. But this is specific to Vulcans, and has nothing to do with appearance. I am not sure if I can offer spiritual guidance on the matter of his looks. Perhaps one of earth’s religions that believes in reincarnation…”

“No, no… it's not him. He's not Steve. It's just… it like there's something there…”

“Likely a genetic coincidence.” T’Aleh offered. 

“I already thought of that. And maybe your right. But… it just feels like too big of a coincidence. I told you, I stopped believing in destiny and fate a long time ago, but what are the odds of him even existing, let alone sitting in the back of my class?”

T’Aleh nodded in agreement. “I will admit the probability is miniscule.” 

They sat in silence for a few moments. 

“What are you looking for, Diana?”

“I don't know,” she shrugged. “But I don't want to be looking for a dead man in this boy’s eyes.”

“I'm sorry then, but I believe I can offer you no guidance. It seems that you need to answer these things on your own.”

“It's ok.” She gave her a watery smile. “Thank you for listening. It means more than I can say.”

Diana had been eyeing a tall butte off in the distance for a while now. 

“T’Aleh, how far is that?” she asked, pointing out toward the distance. 

“About a thirty minute hike.”

“Wanna see something?”

T’Aleh nodded. “I'm sure that whatever you wish to show me will be fascinating.”

Thirty minutes later, they were standing atop the butte looking over the edge. 

“Watch this,” she said, grinning at T’Aleh. She eyed another butte, about 1,000 meters away from the edge of the one they were standing on. She backed up, and then sprinted toward the edge, pushing herself up at the last second. She soared into the air and a few moments later landed with a loud CRACK on top of the other butte. A laugh escaped her lips, and then a scream of joy. 

She turned around and ran back to make the jump again. The air felt amazing as it tangled in her hair. She landed with another loud CRACK a few feet from T’Aleh, who’s eyes were wide, even by human standards. 

Diana beamed. “I haven't done that in years.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW CONGRATS TO YOU FOR MAKING IT THROUGH ALL THAT EXPOSITION


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next three years, Diana would only come into contact with Kirk four times. 

The first was during a mandatory visit for all command track cadets to a Federation council meeting. The idea was to introduce them to their allies, and to help them understand the intricacies of diplomacy. 

It had been eight months since her visit to Arizona, and upon her return she had made up her mind that focusing on a certain cadet would do her no good, since, as far as she could tell, he was not Steve. No magic had happened, his face just looked like that, and regardless of how blue his eyes were and perfect his smile, the man she loved wasn't there. Just another recruit with bravado masking his thinly veiled anger issues. Besides, he had Pike. Another senior officer did not need to be watching him.

So, when he walked into the chambers with a dozen or so other cadets and she felt a deep tug in her gut, she pushed it away.

The meeting went well. They were sitting in on a trade negotiation with the Vulcans and Andorians. All fairly routine. 

Kirk paid about as much attention as he did the first day she had seen him.

A flash of anger flew threw her at one point when she saw him trying to balance a pen on his nose. She wanted to throw something at him and yell, “Pay attention!” however, she restrained herself by finding some way back into the conversation at hand.

“Earth would be happy to offer a location for future exchanges, as all are aware that Vulcans do not like visiting Andor, or vice versa,” said Diana to the Chairwoman. 

“A logical option,” commented Ambassador Sarek. “Vulcan is amiable if Andor is.”

Kirk was now flirting with the person next to him. Diana rolled her eyes as the Andorian ambassador agreed. 

“Unless there is a problem…” trailed the Andorian, looking at Diana.

“No, no. Um, sorry I was reading about a different matter. Let's put it to a vote.”

Diana outlined the agreed upon hilights and put them to a vote. The room was filled with a droll of, “Ayes.”

“Alright,” said the Chairwoman. “The paperwork will be drawn and forwarded to all Federation members. Meeting adjourned.”

The cadets got up to greet all of the council members. To her surprise, as soon as Kirk stood up he became the embodiment of professionalism. In fact, as she watched him make his way down the line, he was downright charming. 

“Thank you for coming… Good luck… Starfleet is lucky to have you…” Diana and the other ambassadors rattled off as they talked, until one of them would get to Kirk, who managed to actually engage them. She was pretty sure she even saw Ambassador Farnd laugh. 

When he got to her, she put on a smile and shook his hand. “We're so glad that you could all come today. I hope it was educational.”

“Oh, extremely,” Kirk said with a nearly convincing tone of sincerity.

“Mhmm,” said Diana through a clenched jaw, forcing the smile to stay on her lips. “Well, if you’ll excuse me I have more meetings to get to.”

Diana turned one her heel and quickly went out the door, even though she didn't have to be anywhere for another two hours. 

 

The second time she saw him was about a year later. In rare fashion, she had walked to the cafeteria to meet a professor for lunch. They were in the middle of discussing offering new language classes for the communications department, when all of a sudden she heard across the hall, “I SWEAR IF YOU ASK ME ONE MORE TIME I WILL STAB YOU WITH THIS FORK IN FRONT OF ALL THESE PEOPLE.”

Diana and the professor turned to see Kirk being threatened with plastic cutlery by a woman with dark skin and a high ponytail. 

He said something inaudible, but the woman kept glaring at him. She stood there with a threatening look on her face for a few more seconds and then stormed out of the hall. 

The professor chuckled and shook her head. “Uhura…”

“You know her?” asked Diana, peeling her eyes away from Kirk, who was still standing there, looking almost amused. Her hand however was still clenched around her mug. 

“Cadet Uhura is the golden child of the Comms department,” informed the professor. “She’s ambitious and talented and one of the hardest workers I know. Last year she had her paper comparing the different Romulan Dialects published in three different journals. She's been requested as an aid by at least 5 different professors, but I'm recommending she start working for Commander Spock next semester.”

“Really? I hear he's in high demand himself.” Diana had never personally met the commander, but she remembered something his father had said in passing the last time they met. 

“Ugh yes. He’s had over 235 applications for a teachers aid come in, and let me tell you, they're not because they are super interested in Xenolinguistics.”

Diana looked confused. 

“Look, if you applied to be his aid it is because of one of three reasons. One, you are hoping somehow it will lead to meeting Ambassador Sarek, because who doesn't want to impress the Vulcan Ambassador? Two, Pike just picked him as first officer for the Enterprise. Every cadet in Starfleet is Hoping to get that posting in a few years.”

“And the third?” asked Diana. 

“They want to fuck him.”

Diana let out a laugh. Perhaps it was just because she was imagining a slightly younger version of Sarek, but she couldn't see that as anyone's motivation for having to grade endless amounts of paperwork. 

“Uhura will actually do the job, and she deserves the best.”

“Good. I'm glad to know we're helping our best and brightest.” Diana watched the door to the cafeteria close as Kirk walked outside. She felt her hand relax and the heat in her chest dissipate. 

 

The third time was six months later. She was visiting Pike to discuss staffing on the Enterprise. 

“Look, I'm not saying you should include someone aboard who isn't qualified, but it’s concerning to a variety of Federation Members that its newest flagship won't have a representative from their planet.” Diana sat in the chair across from his desk.

“I understand. Can't really say we're a diplomatic ship if none of their people are included.” Pike rubbed his eyes. “I'll send this along to Spock. He's in charge of most of the staffing, but you should also pass on that we’re only at about 40%, so nothing right now is reflective of final counts.”

There was a knock at the door. A man poked his head in. “Sir, Cadet Kirk is here to see you.”

Diana did not react to this. Not visually, at least. 

Pike sighed. “Is there anything else, Dr. Prince?”

Diana shook her head.

“Send him in, then.” 

Diana stood up and walked toward the door. As she made her way there it opened to reveal the boy. Well, she almost couldn't say that now. It had been over two years now since she first saw him, and he was starting to look older. That white hot anger that had flared up in the council meeting and cafeteria shot through her again. 

She smiled and nodded, and he returned the gesture. She kept walking out the door, but not before she heard, “What is this I hear about you wanting to take the Kobayashi Maru?”

She went back to her apartment to eat dinner. As she sat there she wondered why rage shot through her when she looked at Kirk. She thought back to Steve. His gentle hands, his brave heart, and it hit her. She was angry because she felt like someone had stolen him. Like someone who didn't deserve his uniform had taken it and was now wearing it around, brandishing his medals. The face didn't belong to him. He hadn't done anything to deserve it. 

Diana put her head on the table. She was being illogical. She snorted when she thought back to Ambassador Sarek and his recent comment about preferring to work with her as opposed to other council members.

She got up, and walked to her balcony. The sun was dipping behind the bay, and her face was bathed in a deep red light. She needed to let this go. Anger served her no purpose. Not now. If she was being honest, anger was easier to feel than the tug at the back of her brain that it was not a coincidence this person had come into her life. 

She resolved to try and approach any future meetings, if there even would be, she thought, with more neutrality. She didn't need to keep tabs on him, but she also didn't need to feel like she wanted to punch a wall every time she saw his face. 

The fourth time she saw him was on 2258.42, the day Vulcan was destroyed.


	6. Chapter 6

Two days before Vulcan was destroyed, Diana received a notice that Starfleet was convening a disciplinary council. 

She glared at her screen. No. Really?

She tapped on the message. 

_Under accusation of academic misconduct, Cadet James T. Kirk will be appearing before a Starfleet to determine guilt or innocence, and if guilt, what the proper line of punishment should be._

_All professors who currently have Cadet Kirk as a student are required to attend a prehearing tomorrow at 1900. Participation from any other staff member or senior Starfleet official is optional._

_Starfleet takes its mission…_

Diana didn't read the rest. It was all just legal jumbo, some of which she was pretty sure she helped write about 50 years ago. She shook her head. They really needed to update their academic policy. 

She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. She wasn't entirely shocked that Kirk had done something worthy of investigation, however part of her was surprised to see it actually being tried. 

She wondered what he'd done. 

“Participation from any other staff member or senior Starfleet officer is optional…”

She could just message the academic board and ask. There was really no reason for her to go to the prehearing. 

 

The next day at 1845, she found herself sitting in a board room, tapping a pen on the table while she watched several officers and professors walk into the room. 

“Dr. Prince?”

A familiar looking Vulcan stood behind her. She turned and stood up, hastily producing the Ta’al. 

“Commander Spock, correct?”

“Yes,” he said nodding, and returning her greeting. “While I have heard about you from my father, I don't believe we have made each other's acquaintance yet.”

“No, but I recognize you from the pictures your mother carries with her!” She grinned. She hoped that this overly familiar greeting would throw off the Vulcan enough that he wouldn't ask why she was there. For a moment she thought she had succeeded when she saw the green rise in his ears.

“Yes, well, humans do not have as adequate a memory as Vulcans so she likely needed them,” he offered in a perfectly composed manner. 

“Mhmm. Yeah. I'm sure your mother forgot what her only son looked like.”

This approach seemed to backfire because Spock seemed to be looking for a change of subject and landed on, “May I ask what brings you to this hearing?”

Diana nodded her head up and down one too many times while she rested her hands on her hips. “Yes, yes, I'm here because…” she breathed in a quick breath, “the federation feels it's not involved enough in the academic progress and health of Starfleet cadets, so you know, I'm here.”

“Well, my father speaks very highly of you, so I'm sure your expertise will be much appreciated.”

“Oh no,” she waved her hand, “I'm not here to do a lot of weighing in, I'm just planning on observing.”

“I see. Well, if you do wish to contribute, feel free.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Spock.” She bowed slightly and sat back down. A few minutes later, the meeting began. 

“Today we are preparing for tomorrow's hearing for,” the academic head that was leading the meeting glanced down at his paperwork, “Kirk, James T. based on the claim by Commander Spock that he cheated on the Kobayashi Maru simulation test. 

Diana scowled. She hated that test. She thought it was unethical. For a moment she caught herself thinking, “good for him,” but quickly shook it off. 

There was a presentation of evidence to indicate there was enough proof to bring it to hearing, and then each board member began in on why they thought he should or should not be punished. 

“You have to admit, it takes a lot of work to rewrite a simulator. It's not like he was copying off someone else's homework.”

“If we let him off, it sets a precedent that cheating is acceptable if you do it well enough.”

“Not if you do it well enough, if you are smart enough to outsmart the test. I think that shows gusto. We need that in our officers.”

There were murmurs of agreement. 

“No, what we need is integrity.” Started in someone else. “This shows a complete disregard for the rules. Here, it's fine, but what if this Cadet is on another planet one day and fails to comply with the Prime Directive because he didn't like the rules? Then what?”

“That is an entirely different scenario!”

This argument went on for several minutes. 

Finally at one point, Commander Spock interjected. “I am curious to hear the opinion of one of our military experts. Perhaps you could weigh in, Dr. Prince?”

The fact that he had now asked for advice twice was a compliment, but she really didn't want her opinion on the record. 

“I have already submitted my views on the Kobayashi Maru Simulation to the Starfleet academic board,” she said. “I have no further comment particular to this case.”

The Commander nodded.

“Council, staff, officers, I believe we have exhausted the topic,” stated the boardhead. “The academic board will now vote on whether or not to proceed with the trial tomorrow.”

The smallest things can have can ripple effects. For example, if a woman by the name of Sarah Denza had been in that meeting, she would have voted against going to hearing. However she wasn’t there because three years prior, her husband had taken an engineering job on Federation outpost in the Beta Quadrant, so she had moved there with him. That job had only been offered to him because Captain Robau of the USS Kelvin had not been alive to recommend him to a senior staff position in San Francisco when he was looking for work. Thus, Denza never would take a position on Starfleet’s academic board, and would not be present to be what would end up being the deciding vote. In another universe, Jim Kirk would have been nominated for an award in original thinking. But that was not this reality. 

“It appears we have a tie vote, which means we will proceed to trial. Meeting adjourned. See you all tomorrow.”

Diana stood, but before she could exit the room she realized that Commander Spock was by her side again. 

“Dr. Prince, if I may make an inquiry-” he said, pad in hand. 

“Yes?”

“I looked up your statement submitted to the board on the issue of the Kobayashi Maru, and it says that you said the test, and I quote, ‘is unethical, a waste of resources, and a hindrance on students and staff alike.’”

“That is correct,” she said. “What’s your question?”

“I'm curious if you have any suggestions for improvement in the programming-”

“No, no, Mr. Spock, this isn't about the programming. Starfleet made an unbeatable test. You're teaching students that failure is an option!”

“Respectfully, failure is an option. Death is a reality all Starfleet members must face.” They began to walk into the hallway. 

“I know that.” She bit her cheek, trying not to say, _I'm perfectly aware what it's like to face death_. “But we are trying to foster optimism, a sense that it is always worth it to keep fighting, to keep trying. This test is simply senseless death. While that may be a reality, I think the refusal to accept it is much more an indication of character than if one simply nobly looked violence in the face and says, ‘Ah well, such is life.’”

“So you think that what Cadet Kirk did was a good choice?”

Before she had a chance to answer, a voice was calling down the hall, “Spock! Spock!” Cadet Uhura was running down the hall. “I've been trying to find you all day. I-” she stopped, eyes wide as he turned around, revealing Diana was standing with him. “Hello!” She smiled at Diana, well, more grimaced. “I just, um, had..”

“Some files to give to the Commander,” Diana offered, doing her best to keep a smile off her face. She nodded toward the pad in her hand. 

“Yes, um,” she started. “As I said, I've been looking for you, because I think they might be important.”

“I apologize for my lack of responsiveness. My communicator had been off all day, as well as yesterday because of several meetings on a pressing academic matter.”

“No that's fine,” she waved her hand. “I had that test and all that time in the lab,” she shook her head. “I just really think something we picked up on the long range sensors might be important, and someone should look at it soon.”

Spock took the pad. “I must prepare for a hearing tomorrow morning, however I will be free in the afternoon if you would be available to meet then.”

“Sure.” She let out a sigh of relief. “I'll stop by your…” her eyes drifted to Diana for a second, “...office around four. 

“Acceptable. Have a pleasant evening,” Spock said in a perfectly even tone. 

“You as well.” She turned to Diana. “And I'm sorry to interrupt.”

“Not at all,” she said, the corner of her mouth ticking up. 

“You know,” Diana said, watching Uhura walk away with as straight of a face as she could muster, “during the negotiations in France last month, your mother was quite eager to show me one of her new family pictures she took over the summer.”

She turned slowly to him, as his ears turned a deep shade of green. Clearly he knew what, or better yet, who was in that picture. 

“Have a pleasant evening Mr. Spock.”

“Yes, you as well.”

The two of them parted ways. She was pleased to have a story to tell Amanda the next time they were stuck at some event where everyone always decided to have small chat on the most boring of topics. 

Unfortunately, Amanda would never hear this story. 

 

The next day she walked to the hall that was steadily filling with students in their red cadet uniforms. She saw Kirk when he walked in and recognized the man next to him as the same person he was with when she first encountered him. 

She thought about if she should say anything. She wasn't on the academic board. She didn't get a vote. 

But then again she outranked every person in this room and could do as she pleased. 

She really did hate that test. Kirk’s decision made her think that maybe, perhaps, there was a possibility of someone who could do great things lingering in there. But as she looked at him, how he was once again behaving with a combination of distraction and arrogance, and clearly annoying the man next to him, she simply shook her head and thought that if it was there, it was buried quite far down. 

Her conflicting opinions kept going back and forth as the academic head began the hearing. He called Kirk forward, and read of the charges. Kirk asked to face his accuser, and Commander Spock took the other podium. 

She watched the back and forth, and she was impressed when he stood his ground about the test being unethical. When he said, “I don't believe in no win scenarios,” she actually smiled. 

She caught herself and quickly returned her face to a neutral position.

But that had done it. She would say something, she decided. It was about the test, nothing more. She wouldn't have said anything if this was about anything else. It was just the test. 

However, before the floor was open, an alarm rang out. 

Everyone was ushered out of the room, and what would happen in the next few hours would erase any though she had about tests or cadets that looked like lost loves. 

Diana made her way to headquarters, her legs taking her faster than they should. No one noticed how fast she was going though as everyone was milling about, trying to get to where their post was in an emergency.

She burst through the doors of the main Observation room. Senators, ambassadors, every high ranking official was all standing around, either talking frantically or standing frozen, staring at the largest screen. They all wanted to do something, but the reality was that all anyone could do in that room, was watch. 

Everything came in blows. The drill. The ship. The planet. It happened so fast. One moment Vulcan was there, strong and healthy, and the next, it had disappeared. 

The room was silent. 

The Enterprise began transmitting, and its communications were automatically put on speaker. They all heard that Pike had been taken aboard the enemy vessel. This news broke the silence and everyone began running around frantically again, rambling about security protocols and such. 

They were important conversations. Diana knew this. But she didn't need to be there. They could handle it. 

She walked out of the room toward her office. Her face felt cold as she made her way along the hall, and she realized at some point, she had started crying. 

She sat down at her desk and said, “Computer, call T’Aleh.”


	7. Chapter 7

Diana spent the next three weeks with T’Aleh in Arizona. Few words were exchanged. T’Aleh knew that with so many lost, she would now be responsible for preserving the entirety of Vulcan culture and mysticism with the other few remaining Elders. It was a daunting task for which she spent much of her day in meditation for. 

Diana tried to take care of all the things around the house or at the temple that she could, hoping to free up T’Aleh from having to worry about the more mundane tasks in her life. 

In the evenings they sipped tea out on her deck. 

After the third week T’Aleh said, “Vulcan will need to rebuild, not just preserve.”

Diana nodded. “It’s certainly possible. Have the discussions already begun?”

“Yes,” said T’Aleh. “Our elders wish to establish a colony.”

“You’ll need a planet.” Diana assumed that they were not interested in sharing someone else's home world. 

“We will. We are aware that it would probably be wise to seek the help of the Federation in establishing a new Vulcan.”

“Of course. And we would be happy to give it.” Diana reached out and put her hand on T’Aleh’s shoulder. 

“Your colleges indicated a similar sentiment. I have put in a request for you to assist on the project.”

“Really?” Diana said with surprise in her voice. “Are you sure? I would be happy to…”

“You were the logical choice,” asserted T’Aleh. “You are both qualified for the job and skilled at cultivating relationships with Vulcan individuals.”

“I mean, I wouldn't say it's a skill. I've told you, I'm not sure why you all seem to enjoy me,” Diana smiled. “But whatever it is, I am honored you picked me.”

 

The next day she received a summons from The Federation back to San Francisco to meet with Ambassador Sarek. Their appointment was scheduled for 1400. He didn't get there until 1415. For the first time in knowing him, he appeared visibly tired. It was just him and Diana, as this was simply a preliminary meeting to discuss who should be on the project. The meeting went fine, although there were several times where Sarek handed her the wrong personnel file, or mixed up some numbers. 

As he was leaving, she called after him. “Ambassador,” she said getting up to walk him to the door, “of course I want to offer my deepest condolences, but also,” she bit her lip, trying to think of a tactful way to put her words, “if you're not ready, we can postpone this.”

Sarek blinked. “That would be illogical.”

She started to say something else, but then just nodded and offered the Ta’al. “Have a good day Ambassador.”

Their next meeting was scheduled for two days from then. When she walked into the conference room, she was surprised to see that Sarek was not there, but another much older Vulcan was. He looked like he could be related to him. Perhaps it was an older brother?

“Hello,” she said, bowing slightly. “I had a meeting with Ambassador Sarek…”

“Yes, unfortunately Sarek has decided to resign is ambassadorship until further notice. I will be taking over his position.”

“I see,” smiled Diana. She was glad to know he was taking some time away. He should. Vulcan or not, his wife just died. “Well, I look forward to working with you, Mr…”

“Spock,” said the Vulcan, with the smallest of smiles appearing on his face. 

Diana squinted at him, cocking her head. “Um, as in…” 

“Sarek’s son. Yes.”

“But I just saw you last month… you were…” Diana’s brow wrinkled. 

“I take it you did not receive the report detailing the events aboard the Enterprise?”

“Honestly, I may have, but I've been a little out of the loop. I've been with a friend of mine, the High Priestess T’Aleh, in Arizona since Vulcan…” she trailed off. She new being overly sensitive with her words was not necessary around Vulcans, however it still felt harsh to simply say, _imploded_. “I was assisting her at the temple. I’m still catching up with a lot of reports, and have really only skimmed the major parts. I heard about Pike,” _and the fact that James Kirk was somehow promoted to replace him_ , she thought, “and that the threat to Vulcan was neutralized. That pretty much it.”

“Understandable. I'm sure T’Aleh was pleased with your company.” 

There was a softness in his voice she was not used to hearing in Vulcans. 

“However if you did not see the report, I should explain my presence. I am not the Spock that you saw a few weeks ago. That Spock is still aboard the Enterprise serving as first officer. 132 years from now, in a failed attempt to save Romulus from an exploding star, I was displaced back in time. The unknown ship that attacked Vulcan, and the USS Kelvin 25 years ago, was also displaced in the same incident.”

“I see. So you are future Spock?” 

“In a sense. The time travel altered events and caused-”

“A different reality,” Diana interjected. “Yeah. So you're different future Spock.”

He raised an eyebrow. “A succinct summation. You seem unperturbed by this.”

“Yes well,” Diana though back to the time Barry got stuck on earth two, “I'm familiar with the concept.”

“I see,” Spock lowered his eyebrow and studied her for a moment. Finally he said, “for the sake of brevity, you need not refer to me as ‘different future Spock.’ Ambassador will do.”

“Sounds good,” she smiled. “Shall we get started?” Diana gestured to the table, and he followed her there. 

 

Diana began meeting with Ambassador Spock once or twice a week. She looked forward to it, as she genuinely enjoyed his company. She had gone home after that first meeting and read all of the reports submitted while she was away, so now was fully caught up with the events surrounding the Enterprise. 

They put together a group of Vulcan elders and several other Federation officials to all assist in finding a suitable planet to begin rebuilding their home. This was the kind of work she loved. It felt satisfying to be helping those who needed it. It was things like this that reminded her why she had advocated for the Federation so ardently all those years ago. 

One afternoon, she and Ambassador Spock were walking in the Hall of Planets, a holographic room designed to let you “walk” through space. It was an effective way to start examining potential planets without having to send out ships yet. 

“Ambassador,” Diana began, as they wandered into the Gamma quadrant, “I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I must say, you are not like any other Vulcan I've ever known.”

“As I am half human, that would be an accurate statement.”

Diana laughed, “Yes, perhaps I'm seeing your mother.”

“You were acquainted?” Spock asked. 

“We weren't close, but I considered her a friend.” Diana looked up at her companion. “I am sorry.”

“It has been easier for myself than perhaps my father or younger self to adjust to her death, as she passed on many years ago for me.”

“Still, I am sorry,” she repeated. 

“Dr. Prince, if I may offer the same observation, you yourself are quite unique.” He stopped to look at her. “You are remarkably compassionate,” he paused for a moment, “and not particularly self involved. Nearly every person I've had extended contact with since coming to this reality has found occasion to inquire about themselves and their potential future endeavors.”

She shrugged. “This reality has enough to keep my focus, I suppose. Why,” she asked, “did we know each other there?”

“If my memory is correct, we did not ever have the pleasure of meeting.”

“Well then I'm glad I'm here, because not knowing you feels like a shame,” she grinned. 

They began walking again, examining various moons. 

“While my mother is a remarkable woman, I would assert that my time in Starfleet played a much larger role in shaping who I have become today.”

“You served?”

“Aboard the Enterprise for many years, as first officer.”

“I see. Just like Commander Spock. Although for your sake I hope you had a more competent captain than he’s been stuck with.” While she had read all the reports, it was still mind boggling to her that Starfleet has made the decision to put a 25 year old that they were just about to expel at the helm of their newest flagship. 

“Jim was my captain for nearly my entire time in service.”

“I'm not familiar with Captain Jim.”

“No, what I meant is James Kirk captained the Enterprise I served on as well. I was profoundly lucky to work with him, as he is one of Starfleet’s most remarkable leaders.”

“What?” Diana’s face scrunched up. “Kirk? But he’s an idiot! And rash! I just got another memo about him doing something stupid and he's had that ship for less than a month. Your Kirk clearly was nothing like ours.”

“I will admit, Jim appears to be angrier here. The loss of his father seems to have burdened him in a different way. However, I have felt that he is still Jim.”

Diana looked up at Spock, who's eyes seemed to be looking a nothing for a moment. “He found me in death and I followed him to the end of the universe.”

They watched a star drift by their heads. 

Spock finally looked down at Diana. “So, regardless of his current… behavior, I am optimistic that one day he will grow into the leader and the man he has the potential to be.” 

“I've been informed by many Vulcans that optimism is not a logical choice.”

“In matters regarding Jim Kirk, optimism is always the logical choice,” promised Spock, with a faint smile appearing in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for the record, I'm not planning on having Spock Prime be a regular character in this. Maybe he'll be mentioned a few more times, but this is pretty much it. Gotta move forward with the main plot. But I like to imagine that one day Spock asked about her Starfleet record, and she just told him her whole story and that they were just really good friends.


	8. Chapter 8

The light flickered into Diana’s bedroom. The shadows were strange because both sun and moonlight were streaming in.

She rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock. 0843.

Stretching, she got out of bed and walked to the kitchen. 

“Coffee and blueberry oatmeal, please,” she requested from her replicator. A second later her breakfast was ready. Talking it out of the compartment, she walked over to the table next to a window reaching floor to ceiling. 

It was quiet on the street below her. Just one street. 

Out past that, the sand stretched for miles until finally it ran into a range of orange mountains. 

It was 2259, and she had been living on New Vulcan for 4 months. She had been splitting her time between there and San Francisco initially, but now it seemed more practical to live on the colony while making a monthly trip home. 

She liked it well enough, but there was part of her that missed the earth, the water and trees. These thoughts only lingered in the morning, though, since she usually had plenty of work to attend to throughout the day. T’Aleh had moved 6 months ago, almost immediately after the planet had been decided upon. It was smaller than Vulcan, closer to the size of Earth, but it's climate was nearly identical. There had been much debate about whether this shift in gravity would affect future Vulcan generations, but in the end it was decided that it would not be overly significant. 

Diana walked toward the main science building where she was supposed to be meeting with Ambassador Spock. 

When she got there however, two humans were waiting, clad in Starfleet Dress Uniforms. 

“Admiral,” they both said, saluting her. 

She looked at both of them with her lips pursed and eyes furrowed. No one called her admiral. “Yes?” she asked. “What can I do for you?”

“Ma'am, you'll need to come with us. We've been ordered to bring you back to Headquarters,” said one of them in a stilted voice. 

“Ordered? They couldn't have just sent a memo? I could have come next week.”

“There's been a terrorist attack, and all senior staff are required to come back to Headquarters.”

“What?” Diana’s voice became low and urgent. “When? Who? Was anyone hurt?”

“Technically,” said one officer, looking at the other, “there have been two attacks. One was a bomb at the Federation Archives. The other,” she paused a moment, swallowing, “was an attack on an officer's conference. Several were killed, including Captain Abbot and Admiral Pike.”

Diana stood, stunned.

After a moment she finally responded. “Um...Why is it I'm needed?”

“Not you in particular ma'am,” said the first officer. “Everyone ranked at One Star Admiral or above is being called home. The message went out automatically from OII.”

“OII?” Suddenly the shock she was feeling morphed into a deeper concern. The Office of Internal Investigation hadn’t called in all admirals for over 100 years. Starfleet wasn't perfect, but corruption didn't exactly run rampant in its ranks. OII didn't usually have a lot to deal with there. In fact, there had been talks of moving some of the internal investigations officers to a new department of temporal investigations to better track timeline interference, which was now becoming a more and more frequent issue.

But if they were now suddenly doing this, it meant someone suspected someone else of misconduct. 

“Alright, let me pack a bag. Do I have time for that?” she asked. 

They both nodded. 

About an hour later, she was climbing onto a small ship with the two officers. 

“It's about a day’s flight from here, ma'am so get comfortable.”

The two of them sat near the front and after several attempts of trying to make conversation, she realized they weren't much for talking. 

This is why she went by Dr. Prince, and not Admiral. People got weird. She was much happier when they just saw her as an academic or diplomat. They started to feel far away when they realized how high her rank was. 

She opened her messages to try and catch up with what was going on back home. It appeared that there was a council on the demotion of… of course it was him… James T. Kirk. She rolled her eyes and almost laughed a little. Apparently his continued failure to follow the Prime Directive had gotten under some people's skin, namely one Admiral Marcus. 

Diana scowled. In general she got along with her fellow senior officers, but Admiral Marcus rubbed her the wrong way. He was a man who sought power but avoided danger. This meant a lot of office commands. A lot of risks taken where he was never on the line. And most of all, she could tell he was a man that craved war but shrunk from battle. 

Kirk was supposed to have been demoted to First Officer under Pike, however two days ago he was given back the command of the Enterprise by… Admiral Marcus…

Diana stopped reading for a few moments, looking at the two officers. Why was Marcus taking away Kirk’s command and then giving it back so suddenly? What would make him so concerned that he would put someone he just tried to fire back in charge of a starship?

If it had taken her less than ten minutes to start asking these questions, she suspected someone at OII had asked similar ones. 

She continued going through the reports, now reading about the attack on the Archives in London. She looked for Marcus’s fingerprints, but didn't see anything that would definitively show he had any relation to the incident. 

She looked up where he was. Apparently he was aboard the USS Vengeance, (a name she had voted against) en route to meet with the Enterprise. This was the only information she could get, because no reports over the past two days had been filed, which she found to be odd. Even the basic location was only available after she requested a senior status location on the Vengeance. Being a Vice Admiral did have its perks, and one of them was a nearly unlimited security clearance. 

Diana stayed up for hours trying to figure out what was going on from nothing but her pad. She found little things here and there, bank statements, old schematics pulled up. 

She fell asleep about 20 hours into the trip. 

 

“Ma'am,” called a voice. “Ma'am. I need you to wake up. We’ve arrived.”

“Mmm? Oh, yes,” Diana muttered, rubbing off the sleep. “Thank you, officer.”

“Your meeting with OII is scheduled for tomorrow at 1300 in Building C,” said the other officer, not trying to rouse her. “If you have any questions, please contact Starfleet Information.”

“I will,” _not_ , she thought to herself. She had about a thousand questions, but the one pressing on her was why had Marcus pulled up classified information about the Eugenic Programs that ended up causing WWIII. That had been the last bit of information she could find before she had dozed off. He had been studying the files on the USS Botany Bay, and its leader, Khan. 

The officers walked away and she made her way back to her old office. She could get more access to information from her computer there. 

“Computer, do a complete search for information on Khan Noonien Singh,” she commanded the moment she opened the door. “Priority to classified and recently used information.”

After a few moments a low whistle indicated her results were ready. The first file that came up was a 3D image of the London Archive Bombing. There, amidst all the rubble, stared back the face from the file. 

Khan. 

She sat down, a lump churning inside her. What on earth was one of these people doing back?

Before she could deduce the answer to that question, a terrible screeching sound came from outside.

She ran to the window. Tumbling down from the sky was the USS Vengeance. With a sickening crash and creak of a million pounds of metal, it collided with San Francisco. 

 

Diana walked into the Enterprise’s medbay where everyone was running around, frantically trying to assist the injured. She was covered in ash and dirt form her own attempts at helping. After she had seen the Vengeance coming to the ground, she had ran out to the buildings in its path, trying to pull as many civilians out of the rubble as she could. A nurse approached to see if she needed anything. She held out her hand to indicate that she was fine.

One hour ago, a notification had been sent to the highest members of Starfleet: “Captain James T. Kirk has apparently died. Initial reports indicate he entered the warp core chamber to realign the generator and save the Enterprise from colliding with Earth. His body is being transported for confirmation and autopsy to Dr. Leonard McCoy aboard the USS Enterprise’s medbay. More details to follow”

This was standard operating procedure to notify command when a captain of a starship died. While tragic for everyone else, they were responsible for making sure they were prepared for any legal, intergalactic, or other logistical ramifications. Losing a captain or above was frankly a hassle. Dianna hated that the loss of life was often treated like this, but she understood that someone at Starfleet had to be pragmatic. 

This pragmatic duty however was not what found her wandering the halls, looking for Dr. McCoy’s room. She had kept trying not to keep tabs on the young captain, to not be like Pike, looking for proof that his father was in there somewhere, or in her case, a much older captain she loved hundreds of years ago. 

Part of her brain told her she had only been sent three sentences, and only one of those attempted to explain anything. Perhaps he didn’t sacrifice himself to save everyone. Perhaps the report was wrong. Perhaps he was already in there and had no choice. He was not Steve and she should not be here. 

But this side of her brain didn’t win, because a moment later she saw a sign outside a door that read, Leonard McCoy, MD, Enterprise CMO.

She didn't knock. 

On the table lay an unmoving Captain Kirk, who was, by all perceptible indicators, dead. The doctor was putting him into what appeared to be a cryotube. 

“Excuse me, ma'am, you can't be in here,” snapped Doctor McCoy.

“Is he dead?” she asked, a tear in her eye. She hadn't seen Steve when he died, as the entire plane had exploded. She wondered if this is what he would have looked like. 

The doctor stopped when he saw the pain on her face, “I'm sorry, but I'm trying to work here. You need to leave.” His voice was still impatient, but softer.

“You have not answered my question.” She blinked away her tears and returned her face to a more composed look.

“Do you... know Jim?” 

“No, not personally,” she answered evenly. “However I am part of Starfleet command and therefore am notified when certain people, including captains of starships are killed. Now, please, answer my question.”

“Look, I'm not ready to file my report with command yet-” 

“You misunderstand, I'm not here in any official capacity. Please,” she sighed, “just answer my question.”

“Yes. Sort of. He still has a few neural vital signs responding, so technically he's in between dead and alive right now.” McCoy looked at the table where he lay, brow furrowed and exhaustion suddenly more present in his face. “He…” The doctor's voice trailed off.

“I take it you are close?” asked Diana, her voice kinder. 

“He's a damned fool for going in there.” His scowl deepened. 

“Then the report is true.” James T. Kirk was indeed perhaps more than an arrogant, self absorbed child. “He did sacrifice himself?” Diana tried to make eye contact with the doctor, however angry tears were welling in his eyes.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah.” He finally said, looking back at her. “But I think I might be able to bring him back, so I need you to leave so I can work.”

“How?” asked Diana, moving nothing other than one eyebrow.

“That Tribble over there came back to life when I was doing some testing on that guy Khan’s blood, so I think since maybe he's a superhuman or whatever, maybe I can make a serum for his blood.”

Diana’s eyebrow moved farther up. “Khan?”

“Yeah, Khan. He’s-”

“I know who he is,” she interrupted. 

“Well I think he's our only chance at bringing Kirk back.”

“Your plan is to attempt to counteract a massive bought of radiation with blood from a man who is technically above human average from the result of eugenics, but otherwise not overly special, because a notoriously difficult to kill creature came back to life?’” Diana folded her arms. “What do you think, he has super blood?”

“Look, it's the best I've got!” yelled McCoy. “The serum is good, the delivery system is good, and if the blood I put in from Khan is in fact what I think it is, Kirk’s body should be able to replicate its regeneration. Not permanently, but long enough to make him not dead anymore!”

The doctor was grasping at straws. Diana knew that Khan’s blood wasn't what he needed, regardless of how well he had designed the rest of his medical process. She may not be entirely sure what was going on right now in regards to Admiral Marcus or the blast from the Eugenics past that had somehow landed Khan here in 2259, but she knew better than anyone that what the doctor was trying would not work. She had been there during the attempt to create a more evolved human, and she knew that Khan had no magical blood. Not magical enough to fix this. 

She stopped at that thought. She looked down at her own hand. She had been pulling people out of burning wreckage and had cut and bruised herself several times. But her hands showed no sign of this. After all, gods are not as weak as men.

Diana reached for a massive syringe on the table. “You're sure about your delivery system? That as long as the blood has what you need, the rest will work?”

“Yes, I- what the hell are you doing?” cried McCoy as she plunged the rather large needle into her the vein in her left arm. 

She said nothing and then handed it to him.

“What am I supposed to do with this??” demanded McCoy.

“Khan does not have what you seek. If you are correct, that,” she said, pointing to her blood, “does.”

“Look, ma'am, I barely remember your name, Prince or something, and that you're some high up council member, but nothing else.” He crossed his arms. “I'm not just stickin’ your blood in him!”

Diana stared him down. “If you want what is best for him, you will. And as for not remembering me,” she went on, “it would be best if you continued not remembering me. Including that I was here. Tell people Khan’s blood was effective.” She turned on her heel.

“What are you? Why are you doing this?”

She stopped, but did not turn around. 

“Because I think he might deserve more time.”

And with that, she left the room.

 

Bones sat at the table, staring at his door. What the hell had just happened? Why had some Federation Bureaucrat just waltzed into the Enterprise, and handed him a vial of blood? What did she know about Khan? Why did she think her blood was better? Why would she want to help Jim in the first place?

A thousand more questions swirled around his mind but in the end there was only one he needed the answer to. 

Was there anything he wouldn't do to save Jim?

With a sigh and a prayer, he pulled out the serum and mixed it with the strange woman's blood. Then, he inserted it into his delivery system, put it to Jim’s arm and said, “Looks like we're both damned fools.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just wanted to add a thought on Dianna and her positions in Starfleet and the Federation cause I had a friend ask about how she's so high up but also not overly scrutinized. I live in Washington DC and I'm basing her off of people I know. Like, there are people who are probably the most powerful/influential people in the world and no one knows who they are. They can change laws and affect treaties. They're not hiding or in a secret shadow government, they're just, frankly, boring. They do their job and go home at the end of the day an people all across the world don't know them. They still have to be introduced at major events. They have high profile jobs but are low profile people. People don't dig for info on these people either because they're not overly publicly ambitious. When you come into the public eye is when they dig through all your old files. Basically she one of these people. Especially since she doesn't go by her rank very often. 
> 
> Anyways, thought I'd put that out there in case it was bothering anyone.


	9. Chapter 9

Regardless of the request to forget the strange woman that had wandered into his office, McCoy did no such thing. 

As soon as Jim was back on his feet and he didn't feel like he needed to be monitoring him every two seconds, he made up his mind that he was going to go figure out who was this woman. 

“Bones, I'm fine.” Jim drawled from his bed. “You've been wanting to leave for the past four days.”

“Yeah well, you keep almost dying,” argued McCoy, sticking another monitor on his arm. 

“That is completely untrue. I have been perfectly stable since you stuck me with Khan’s blood,” he laughed, picking up a clipboard by his bed, “according to your own chart! You told me I would be fine!”

“Gimme that,” he snapped, grabbing the record from his hand. “You're right, you'll be fine if you don't annoy me into killing you first.”

“Bones, GO.” Jim rolled his head toward him with a grin of a man who had escaped death and was rather proud of it. “You've been cooped up in med bay for over two weeks. You can come back and bother me tomorrow.”

“Fine.” He walked out of the room, and told the head nurse he was going home for the day and would be back in the morning.

He didn't go home. While he was sitting for two weeks next to Jim as he recovered, he had tried to pull up information on the woman. First he had to figure out her full name. He knew she worked on some Federation boards and her last name was Prince. He vaguely recalled seeing her at Starfleet events and was pretty sure she had guest lectured back when he started at the Academy. This was not a lot of information to go off, but eventually, after just going through all the photos of people with the last name Prince, he found her file. 

Well, her medical file. He had restricted access while in medbay and couldn't get anything other than her medical history, which was nearly non existent.

But it got him a full name. Diana Prince. 

He walked over to the records room where he could get at her full file. He sat down in a quiet corner with a free computer. 

“Computer, pull Starfleet record for Diana Prince.”

“There are three Diana Prince’s in Starfleet records,” the computer responded with three photos popping up on the screen. “Please indicate the one you are looking for.”

“The one on the left,” he said, recognizing her face. 

“Vice Admiral Diana Prince-”

“Vice Admiral!” McCoy shouted, and then quickly looked around to see if he had disturbed anyone. 

“-is Starfleet’s top ranking military historian. She is the Chair of the Federation Council on Escalation Deterrence. She achieved the rank of Vice Admiral in 2196.”

“What? That can't be right…” McCoy muttered. That was over 60 years ago, and most people who are made Vice Admirals aren't exactly young.

“Computer, when did Prince enlist in Starfleet?”

“Diana Prince never enlisted in Starfleet.”

“What?! This makes no sense!” He skimmed through the files, trying to find something to explain this woman, but it just got stranger. 

“If she never enlisted, how is she a Vice Admiral?” demanded McCoy. 

“Starfleet command made Diana Prince an officer after her involvement in several minor military incidents from 2189-2200. Prince was a member on the Federation Council on Interplanetary Strategic Defence and was working heavily with Starfleet. The decision was made that her expertise would be a valued addition to Starfleet Command, and they requested that Prince take the position of Vice Admiral in 2196.”

McCoy stared at the screen, looking over the entire report the computer was reading from. It appeared that she was some sort of military genius and that because of her long time work with the Federation, Starfleet was eager for her to be in command. However it also looked like she returned to primarily a diplomatic role in the early 23rd century. 

This confused McCoy even more. What Admiral didn't walk around like they were a gift from the gods to mankind? Not this one. She had apparently been happy to stay out of the limelight.

The oldest record on her was her induction to the Federation in 2182. It said she had been hired out of Oxford.

That meant this woman who looked all of about 30 was at least 100 years old. 

McCoy tapped his fingers nervously. She was a military genius, didn't seem to age, had regenerated Jim. Was this woman part of the same project Khan came out of?

“Computer, is there any record of a Diana Prince coming from the Eugenics Programs?”

“No records found.”

“Does Khan’s file have anything on a Diana Prince?”

“No records found."

McCoy sat there looking at the screen. Well what was she then?

 

“You know I hear that they’ll be updating our quarters,” informed Sulu. 

McCoy was standing with Uhura, Checkov, and Sulu in a dining hall. They were at a dinner for some Admiral's retirement. It wasn't overly formal, and he was glad because that meant he didn't have to wear his full dress uniform. 

“Ugh. I'm sick of rumors,” grumbled Uhura into her drink. “It's been six months waiting on repairs and I'm just itching to get back.”

“Apparently zey are only halfway zrew ze engine,” said Checkov, frowning. “I am wis Uhura. I want to fly!’

“I'm the pilot here,” said Sulu.

“Yes, but you don't mind sticking around earth because last I heard you were seeing someone," Uhura grinned. 

“It's not serious,” Sulu said, although his smile indicated something else. “But he’s nice. He teaches biology. We like to talk about botany.”

McCoy rolled his eyes. “Nerds.”

“Speaking of significant others,” asked Sulu, “where’d Spock go?”

“He's over there,” Uhura waved behind her, “talking to some people from New Vulcan.”

Bones glanced in the direction she had indicated, and then did a double take. Standing there, plain as day, just talking to Spock was Diana Prince. 

For a moment he didn't move. He had never gotten adequate answers, and eventually he had decided against what felt like his better judgment to investigate her. This woman had given Kirk back his life and he was afraid that perhaps she had the ability to take back what she had given. Even if she didn't do that, she was clearly one of the most senior members of both Starfleet and the Federation and those seemed like unwise feathers to rustle. 

Still, seeing her just making polite chitchat with his crewmates while munching on hors d'oeuvres was unsettling. She was shrouded in mystery and supposed to, oh he didn't know, be silently walking through the corridors of power, looming over people, not munching on shrimp toast and now laughing at something Spock said. 

That was perhaps the most disturbing thing of all. 

He made his way over to the two of them. 

“Ah, Doctor McCoy, meet Dr. Diana Prince. She is working with New Vulcan on behalf of the Federation to help with the colony’s establishment.”

“Hello,” she said pleasantly presenting her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

McCoy took it, but just glared. “So what brings you here?” he asked, trying to force his voice into something resembling his normal tone and not an accusation. 

“It’s a retirement party. I was invited like everyone else,” she smiled but her eyes flashed a quick glare at him. 

“Mhmm. I see.” McCoy tried to force himself to relax his jaw. “So…” he began in a friendlier tone, “you two know each other?”

“We have met once before,” said Spock, “and she worked with my father for several years. He always spoke very highly of her competency.”

“I loved working with him as well,” she smiled. “I'm glad to hear he’s doing well back at the VSA.”

“So you get along with Vulcans, then?” asked McCoy, as if this was some foreign concept. 

Her eyebrow raised at the question. “Yes. Why?”

“You must excuse Dr. McCoy, as he is one to frequently find strange the use of logic.”

“I do not!” exclaimed McCoy, momentarily forgetting his suspicions to pick his usual spat with Spock. “I'm just not a hobgoblin who refuses to feel anything!”

“Gentlemen, are we at this again?” sighed an approaching voice. It was Jim. McCoy felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. 

“Sorry, you’ll have to excuse my CMO and First Officer,” Jim said, flashing Dianna a grin. “I'd like to say they’re not always like this, but that would be a lie.” He proceeded to shake her hand. “Jim Kirk.”

She nodded. McCoy tried to make out some sort of reaction on her face, but there was nothing but a return of, “Diana Prince.”

“Jim,” Bones interjected, “I've been looking all over for you. I have some work I need you to look at.” He grabbed Jim’s arm and started dragging him in the other direction. 

“Sorry!” Jim called over his shoulder. “Nice to meet you!”

He yanked his arm out from McCoy’s grip. “Bones, what on earth is so important that you have to show me now in the middle of a party?”

“Nothing…” muttered McCoy. “I was just so bored I thought I was gunna die.”

“ _I_ was having a nice time,” he said, craning his neck back toward Spock and the woman. 

“Well we’re doing what I want for once,” responded McCoy. Continuing to walk out the door. 

“Fine,” shrugged Kirk. “Where are we going?”

 

When they were finally given back the Enterprise, McCoy grumbled about a five year mission in the deadly vacuum of space. But in all reality, there was part of home that was excited for new adventures. He kept this part of himself restrained because there were enough people on that ship eager to plunge headfirst into danger. 

There was also a small part of him that was glad to be far away from Diana Prince, who or what ever she was. Part of him suspected she may be part Vulcan after he remembered a conversation he had with Jim several years prior. She didn't act like one, but her eyebrow certainly knew how jump to the top of her forehead. He suspected this wasn't it, or at least all of it, but he couldn't think of another decent explanation. 

After a while, she stopped weighing on his mind. For the next four years, his life was filled with Harry Mudd and screeching aliens and toxic flowers and several accidental Time jumps. There were swarms attacking outposts and the Enterprise blaring classical music to blow them up. There was new life and new civilizations. 

He had all but forgotten about Dianna Prince until one day when he wandered into the bridge. 

“Mr. Sulu, plot a course back to earth, please.” Jim was sitting in his captain's chair reading something while giving orders.

“What are we going back to earth for?” asked McCoy. 

“Shore leave, Bones,” he said happily without looking up. 

“But our next shore leave is scheduled for that Federation Outpost,” he said, his brow coming together in confusion. 

“Yeah, well one of my reports got flagged by Command and I have to go debrief someone back at Headquarters,” he said, finally looking up at McCoy. 

“Which report?” wondered McCoy. They hadn't done anything terrible in a while. They hadn't broken any major rules. 

“That last planet, with Apollo, or whatever he was,” said Jim. “I'm supposed to go debrief a Dr. Diana Prince on the full events of what happened on the planet.”

“What?” McCoy’s voice dropped about two octaves. There was part of him that had perked up at the thought of shore leave on earth, but now… “Why is some Federation official reading our reports?”

“You know that what they're for, Bones,” he teased with an amused look on his face, “to read. I'm not just waxing poetic to pass the time.”

McCoy folded his arms. “Jim, it's weird that some,” he tried to think of something to call her that wouldn't indicate he knew too much about her, “bureaucrat is reading our logs.”

“I don't think she is,” said Jim. “It was an automatic flag by the computer.”

Automatic flags were set up so if certain words, people, places etc. showed up in a report the officer filing it would be told to take it to someone command wanted to know about the situation. Sometimes it was just a message saying to forward the report, but on rare occasions it requested the officer take it and debrief the indicated person. 

“You could just do a video conference. We don’t have to go to earth,” offered McCoy. 

“Bones,” Jim said in an exasperated tone, “we haven't had shore leave on earth in over 2 years. I'd like to see home. I think a lot of the crew would like to see home. I assumed you would as well.”

“Yeah, well…” He had nothing to say to this. He turned and walked back out of the bridge trying to assure himself all would be fine. 

It was just a debriefing on one weird planet. One weird alien on one weird planet. It would be in and out and they would be back in space where they belonged. 

He rubbed his eyes. What the hell had his world come to if he was thinking they belonged in space?


	10. Chapter 10

"Come in." Diana was sitting in her office in San Francisco when there was a knock at her door. 

When she looked up and saw Steve walking into her office her breath caught in her chest. She blinked, realizing that it was James Kirk. It had been years now since she had seen him and his face had aged into familiarity. It was no longer a young version of the man she remembered. It was a carbon copy. 

"Hi. Jim Kirk. Captain of the Enterprise. We’ve met once or twice a few years back."

"Yes," she smiled while she let out the breath she had been holding. "I remember you."

_What are you doing on earth? Why are you in my office? Why is that nagging feeling at the back of my brain again?_

“What can I help you with today?” she asked, putting down the pen she had in her hand. 

“One of my reports got auto flagged and it said I needed to come debrief you,” he responded, handing over a file. 

Diana’s face fell as she took it. Her first thought was, _Clark_.

Years ago, when Starfleet had first implemented auto flagging, she had set it up so it would tell anyone who came in contact with anything or anyone from Krypton that they had to debrief her. She knew that Clark was long gone, but she had dealt with the Phantom Zone enough that she wanted to be on the safe side when it came to that planet. 

“Was the Enterprise in the Delta quadrant?” she asked with a hint of urgency as she put the file into her computer.

“No, ma'am,” responded Kirk, seemingly confused that this was her first question. “We were on the border of Alpha and Beta.”

Diana looked up at him confused. 

"It was a weird planet, ok well…” Kirk trailed off, “most of the planets we go to are kinda weird… anyways...We got stuck on this planet with, and look I swear, I know this is going to sound crazy, but what appeared to be…” Kirk’s face scrunched up in a weird way, as if bracing for her to laugh at him, “a Greek God?"

“What?” Diana looked at him, dumbfounded. 

“Well, I mean, we think it was probably an alien that came to earth thousands of years ago.”

“Which one?” demanded Diana. 

“Apollo. It's all in the report there,” he said, pointing at her computer. 

Diana's nodded. She had also put flags in the system for anything related to Greek myth just to be on the safe side, but she had considered it so unlikely that she had almost forgotten that she had. She turned to the report on her screen. 

It was like Kirk said, they had ended up stuck orbiting a planet with one living being. The Enterprise had been trapped by the man, who claimed to be Apollo. The Apollo. She kept reading. 

Kirk began to look around the room at the artwork on display while she read. "You have an amazing collection of antiquities."

She glanced up at him admiring a sword, her sword, that now was residing in a case. 

"I collect antique weapons from earth, too,” he said. She noticed his tone was different than her memory of him. It was deeper, older. 

"That is not a collectors piece. It's mine. I simply haven't used it in a while.”

Kirk laughed at that, clearly assuming it to be a joke. She kept reading. 

Finally she asked, “Your report seems to indicate that you and the rest of the away team came to the conclusion this being was the actual Apollo of ancient Greek myth?”

“Yes ma'am,” he nodded. “We believe, based on our interactions that he was what they worshiped. He clearly comes from and advanced race of aliens and likely traveled to earth with other companions by technology we are unfamiliar with, and the people living here at the time were convinced he was a god,” Kirk shrugged. “It's not unheard of. After all, that's part of the reason we have the Prime Directive.”

“It says that he fed off worship through some sort of device?”

“Well,” admitted Kirk, “that's our best guess. We're pretty sure he got his power from somewhere in this temple, because after we had the Enterprise fire on it, we were able to break free from orbit and escape.”

“And that destroyed him?” she pressed. “It says here that ‘the adversarial being was dealt with.’”

“He seemed to disappear. We think he died.”

Diana remembered conversations held in whispers between her mother and her aunt about what she now knew was Ares. She didn't like hearing this again. 

It was possible this alien was misguided. That it thought it was something it wasn't. But from the report, it seemed to have a clear and personal knowledge of earth from 2,000 years ago. Surely if aliens had visited, her mother would have know about it?

But as she read about his power, and how he had wielded it, she knew this was an Olympian. While she was not entirely sure what was in the temple that would have weakened him if destroyed, her heart told her this was exactly who he said he was. The idea that he was an alien was only the best guess if you thought the Olympians weren't gods, that they we’re just a story. 

What concerned her was his motives. 

“This man claiming to be Apollo, he wanted you to worship him?”

“I think he wanted all of humanity to worship him. If we had stayed, I suspect he would have tried to bring more humans, or even make his way to earth.”

Diana touched her temple, staring at Kirk and thinking. 

“I have to go,” she said after a few seconds. She stood up. “Thank you for bringing this to me.”

“Wait, do you mean go to the planet?”

“I do,” she replied, looking at the sword in it's case. 

“The only deep space vessel scheduled to be in that area for the next few months is the Enterprise.”

Diana paused, trying to think of people she could charter a flight from. 

“You’re welcome to come with us,” Kirk offered. “We were scheduled for a few days of shore leave at a Federation Outpost nearby, but we came back here because,” he pointed at her computer, “I had a good excuse. Our time’s up in the morning though. We’ll be heading back out there.”

Diana thought for a second. Her initial reaction was no. She wanted to go take care of it alone. But then again, going there directly, especially on one of the fastest ships in the fleet would save her a lot of time, and she had no way of knowing how imminent a threat from Apollo, if there even was going to be one, was. Taking too much time could be a gamble. 

“I'm not sure-” she started.

“Look,” interjected Kirk, “clearly this is important to someone in Starfleet command if I was supposed to personally debrief you, so either they’ll send you out there on another ship, which will be a waste of time and resources, or they will see that we are there, and have us bring you to the planet,” he pointed out. 

Diana hadn't planned on using any Federation resources to get there, but explaining that, or the fact that she was the person in Starfleet command that it was important to, wasn't something she was interested in doing. 

“Just trying to avoid having to turn around right after we leave,” stated Kirk with a slight smile. Though his tone had matured, he still had the charm she had noticed years ago. She suspected it was a perfectly honed skill.

“When do you leave?”

“0900 hours, ma'am.”

She put her hands on her hips and sighed. “Ok. Yes, ok.”

“Great!” grinned Jim. “Well, I'm going to head out. As I said, it's my last night here. It was lovely to see you again, and I'm looking forward to having you onboard.” He shook her hand again and walked out. 

Diana looked at her sword again as he left. She had some packing to do. 

 

“What!” exclaimed Bones. “She's coming with us?”

Jim sighed. Bones had been grumpy since they had got to earth, well, grumpier than usual, and to be honest, he wasn't sure why. They were back onboard, walking down ome of the Enterprise’s hallways.

“Bones, this was an incredibly historically significant being!” Jim sipped his coffee. “She's a historian, and I'm sure what was on that planet has invaluable information, er whatever…” he said, waving a hand. 

“I just didn’t realize we were a shuttle service for government officials,” he muttered. 

“We literally have escorted 4 diplomats, 2 scientists, and 5 royal somebodies to different planets or stations, and that's just in the past year,” he smiled at him as he took another big swig of coffee. “Sorry, but if you haven't noticed, this _is_ part of the job.”

Bones kept grumbling, but Jim had turned down the hall to the bridge, leaving the doctor to go to the medbay on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the first of several chapters that will be loosely (emphasis on loosely, after all this is in the Kelvin timeline and also Diana is here) based around old TOS episodes. I know not everyone reading this watched TOS, so if you're interested in seeing the original episode I'll be putting the title in the notes at the end so you can look it up. The episode this and the coming two chapters are in reference to is called: "Who Mourns For Addonis."


	11. Chapter 11

“Move the meeting with the Cardassians to tomorrow in Hall H,” Diana said, looking over some papers in front of her. 

“Isn't the Xenobiological Society meeting with the trade commission there?”

She had been in conference calls all day. Suddenly up and leaving for someone like her wasn't typical, and she had apologized for having to “take care of an urgent matter,” but there had still been meeting after meeting to fill the gaps she had abruptly left. 

“No, that's not until Thursday,” she said. “Alright, I think that's it. I'll talk to you when I return.”

“Alright, have a pleasant trip Dr. Prince.”

She switched off the screen and looked around. The Enterprise had extremely comfortable guest quarters, likely because they were designed with high ranking officials in mind. She realized right after she thought that that she was a high ranking official. 

With all the work she was trying to catch up with she had barely had time to think about why she had gotten onboard the Enterprise in the first place. 

Apollo. 

She got up and walked over to her things. Beneath her clothes lay a shield. She pushed aside the shirts that lay on top of it and looked at it for a moment. 

_No sharp edges_ , she thought as she ran her finger along the side. 

At that moment she felt her stomach growl. It had been over a day now since she’d eaten, but she had been so busy, she hadn't noticed. Now that she had though, she realized she was famished. 

She could think about Apollo on a full stomach. 

“Computer, where is the dining hall?” 

“Deck C.”

She had also been cooped up in this room all day and wanted to stretch her legs. Out and to the turbo lift down the hall she went, pressing the button inside for the proper deck. 

The doors opened a moment later with a faint ding. 

A few doors down from her she could hear lots of voices, so she turned in that direction to find a room full of people milling about, eating dinner. 

While she didn't exactly perfectly blend in with the many uniformed Starfleet members, as she rarely wore her uniform, her habit of wearing her hair pulled back tightly with a plain sweater and skirt led her to not usually sticking out anywhere. Well, not too much for someone who looked like her. Her clothes weren't boring or dated, she simply preferred to stick with things that were well tailored with clean lines. 

Along one of the walls was a row of replicators. She found a free one and said, “Grilled whitefish, please,” she asked, and then added quickly, “and a bowl of chocolate ice cream.”

The food she had requested appeared, and she took it to a quiet corner with several armchairs.

After a few minutes she heard a voice next to her, “Mind if I join you?” It was Kirk. 

“No, go ahead,” she shook her head, waving at the chair next to her. While she may not have been as comfortable as she let on, the politeness in her tone was not nearly as forced as it once had been. 

He sat down, crossing one leg. “Smooth trip so far?” he inquired. “Is there anything we can do to be of assistance?”

“Thank you, but I'm fine. It's mostly just been working.” Diana looked at him, almost fascinated with the level of sincerity in his question. She had heard some form of his question thousands of times in her life, but usually it was just something people said.

“I imagine you left plenty of work back home,” he said. “Sorry we were leaving so quickly again.”

She shook her head. “No, that's quite alright. I appreciate being able to leave sooner rather than later.”

“Good,” he smiled. “You know Dr. Prince, I think I remember you.”

Diana squinted her eyes. Where was he going with this? “Yes…” she started. “You did mention we’ve met and I remember-”

“No, no, I mean I think you guest lectured back when I was at the Academy.”

Of course she remembered what he was talking about. “I do come to teach from time to time.”

“Yeah… I had just started and you were talking about strategic defence or something.”

She didn't say anything in response to this, but let him continue. 

“I think I was bothering Bones… or maybe sleeping… and you called on me and I was so annoyed,” he grinned apologetically. 

“Your answer wasn't bad though, especially for a first year Cadet,” she returned. 

Kirk's face turned into surprise. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then said, “You remember that?”

The corner of Diana’s mouth ticked up. “I'm not used to people falling asleep when I'm speaking.”

Kirk laughed, “I imagine you're not. But I hope you didn't take it personally. I was an exceptionally terrible student.”

“I'm aware,” she admitted. 

Kirk tilted his head to one side.

“I was…” Diana paused, “I was at the prehearing when they were considering kicking you out.”

“Really?” Kirk seemed amused by this coincidence. Well, coincidence to him. “I didn't know the Federation got involved with things like that with the Academy.”

“From time to time.” She offered no other explanation, but apparently it wasn't something he needed one for since he continued. 

“Well, I'm sorry for sleeping in your class,” he sighed. “That feels like an eternity ago now,” he said rubbing his eyes. “I was so...” he shook his head as he trailed off, “but now I'm old and boring.” Kirk looked at her for a second. “I must, say you've aged much better than I have.” His eyes squinted at her. “Actually, now that I say that, I remember asking Bones how old he thought you were back then…” 

Diana tried to think quickly in case the conversation went south. Although maybe she should just say something...

He was looking to the side now, as if trying to remember the details of the conversation, but suddenly he snapped back into focus. “I'm sorry, I’m being rude.”

Diana sighed ever so slightly. That calm was soon interrupted though by Dr. McCoy who had abruptly appeared next to them. 

“Jim, I need you to sign this,” he demanded, shoving some paperwork under his nose. 

“Yeah, sure Bones,” Kirk said, not really reading it as his focus still seemed to be on her. 

“And I'm pretty sure I heard Sulu say they need you on the bridge,” he added. 

“Ok,” he said, breaking his focus on Diana. “I'll be right up there.” He stood up and started walking away, before he turned around. “We should be there in about 16 hours. Like I said, let me know if there's anything we can do.”

“Thank you, Captain.” She watched him walk away, and for a second didn't realize that Dr. McCoy had not followed him. 

“What are you doing?” demanded his voice after Kirk was out of earshot. 

Diana turned to him slowly. “Excuse me?”

“What? Do you not have magic hearing?” he asked flippantly.

“Dr. McCoy, I'm not sure why you seem to be so angry with me but-”

“I'm not angry!” he insisted. “I'm just not fooled by you.”

Diana rolled her eyes. He was so human. She had given him help and now he was suspicious of her. 

“I looked up your file after…” he stopped himself. “Well you know after what, and I don't know what you are, but just leave Jim alone.”

“I'm not here because of him,” she said. “I'm following up on a report. It's not my fault he brought it to me. Or offered for me to come on the Enterprise.”

McCoy folded his arms, scanning her with beaded eyes. “Well, whatever you say. But I'm keeping an eye on you.”

She tried not to laugh at this. “Ok, then.”

He glared and walked away. 

 

That night she lay awake, finally thinking about Apollo. She had come prepared for the worst, but part of her wanted to think that maybe he would be nothing like Aeres. Maybe he just needed someone like him to talk to. 

Maybe she wouldn't have to be alone in the universe anymore. 

 

“I have actually met her twice,” commented Spock, who was pulling on his blue science uniform. 

“What!” exclaimed Uhura, smacking his arm with one hand while pulling on her boot with the other. It was morning and they were discussing the Enterprise’s new guest while getting ready to head down to breakfast. “You've met her?”

Spock nodded. “She has done quite a lot of work with New Vulcan.”

Nyota beamed. “You have to introduce me! She helped write all of my favorite language tutorials back at the Academy. She has an amazing grasp on syntax and tonal structure.”

“Of course. I am interested in speaking to her as well myself,” he stated as they walked out of the room. “I believe however, that she already knows who you are.”

“Why?” asked Nyota. She couldn't think of a single interaction they had ever had. She wasn't even sure what Dr. Prince looked like, she just knew the name from seeing it so often in her Language Courses. “We’ve never met.”

“That is not true. You once interrupted a conversation I was having with her several years ago,” Spock said as they got into the turbolift. 

“Really?” she asked. “When?” 

“You had just discovered the transmitions from Nero’s ship, although we did not know that at the time, in the long range sensor lab.”

“Oof. I vaguely recall you were talking to someone when I found you.” Nyota thought for a moment. “Those few days are kind of a blur.”

“Understandable.” Spock hesitated for a second. “However, that is not why she knows you.”

Nyota looked at him with a confused look. 

“She was acquainted with my mother and I understand that she showed Dr. Prince family photos regularly, including the one when you came with me to visit Vulcan.”

“Spock!” she grinned. “She was friends with your mom?”

The turbolift door opened and they walked to the dining hall. 

“I do not think they were overly close, but yes, they were indeed friends.”

The two of them grabbed breakfast and sat down. After about twenty minutes Spock said. “Dr. Prince just arrived. Perhaps now would be a good time to make the introduction?”

“Where?” asked Nyota looking around for what she imagined was a grey haired, stately looking woman.

Spock pointed to the replicators. There, turning around with what appeared to be a bowl of oatmeal was perhaps one of the most beautiful people Nyota had ever seen. She audibly gasped, grabbed Spock's arm, and asked, “Wait, that's _her_?”

Spock nodded, getting up. “Are you coming?”

“Yes!” Nyota exclaimed, popping up. “She’s so young!” she said in a hushed tone as they approached her. 

“Dr. Prince,” called Spock. Well, called... more said her name in a slightly louder voice. Nevertheless, she heard and turned toward them.

“Commander Spock,” she smiled, bowing slightly and then raising the Ta’al, “it's lovely to see you.”

“You as well.” He turned his body slightly to Nyota. “I would like you to meet Lieutenant Nyota Uhura. She is the ship's chief communications officer.”

“Pleasure,” she said warmly, extending a hand to Nyota. “I heard about you back in your academy days. They told me you were the golden child of the Communications Department. And,” she smiled, “if it's not too embarrassing, his mother was quite eager to tell me about you as well,” she said, nodding her head toward Spock.”

“Not at all,” she laughed. “And I'm flattered."

"Speaking of, how is your father?” Dr. Prince asked Spock. 

“Well, thank you,” he stated. 

“Well! Not ‘adequate’ or ‘satisfactory?’” she teased. “I'm glad to hear he’s doing do marvelously.”

Nyota laughed. Not only was she apparently some sort of prodigy, she was also funny. 

“Dr. Prince, I just have to say, your language tutorials are some of the most amazing resources at the Academy,” she leaned, trying to convey her sincerity. “Really, just changed my life some of those things.”

“I'm glad to hear they helped someone.” Her eyes were soft and kind as she looked back at Nyota. 

“We are lucky to have you here,” said Spock. “I was pleased to hear that someone at Starfleet wanted to have a historian do a follow up visit on that planet,” Spock added. “Perhaps I shall come with the away team, as I did not beam down last time, and I'm sure what is to be found there will be fascinating.

Dr. Prince’s face suddenly tensed. 

“Um that's,” she shook her head, “uh, I don't believe that will be necessary Mr. Spock, as I think that I have this on my own.”

Spock’s mouth turned into a frown. “Perhaps you are unaware, but Starfleet code dictates that an away team will have at minimum three people, unless otherwise explicitly necessary.”

“Yes, I am familiar with that,” her face much less calm than it was prior. “Perhaps it would be best if I went first and then I can let you know when to come down as well.”

Spock was beginning to look concerned. “I fail to see the logic in that plan of action.”

“Well, I um, need to get some things together before we get there later today… so if you'll excuse me.” Diana turned to Nyota. “It was nice to meet you.”

Nyota turned to Spock as she walked away. “That was strange.”

 

Diana needed to go find Kirk and come up with a reason why she should go down to the planet on her own. She started walking toward the bridge, but not overly quickly. Her mind was focused on meeting Apollo and didn't seem to want to think of an excuse. 

Maybe she could say she wanted to check if it was safe first. That could work, after all she was doing a follow up mission to make sure he was dead, or at least that's what she thought the crew thought they were going back to the planet for. 

Worst case scenario she could pull rank. 

She sighed. Part of her just wished she could say, “Hey, I need to see if this guy is my brother and if I have to kill him. Could you give me a minute?”

She had gotten to the bridge finally. 

The door slid open. 

“Captain Kirk,” she said, walking toward the chair in the center.

“Dr. Prince! Good morning,” he said. “We usually don't see our guests on the bridge, but that's fine.”

Dr. McCoy was standing next to him, now glaring at her. 

“What can we do for you?” Kirk asked. 

“Well I was wondering when we get to the planet in a few hours-”

“Oh, we just dropped out of warp. We’ll be there in a few minutes,” said Kirk, sipping his coffee.

“What?” Diana asked, barely masking the panic in her voice. 

“Mr. Scott, our chief engineer ran some tests last night on the warp engines and we ended up shaving of a few hours.” Kirk smiled as if this were good news. He then tilted his head to the side, likely picking up on her negative reaction to the news. “Did you need more time?”

But before she could answer that, the ship suddenly shook to a very abrupt halt. A voice shook throughout the ship. “Humans! You have returned to your rightful master!”

“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath. She didn't have time to talk about this anymore. They were here. 

“Ceyptin!” called one of the helmsmen. “It's zat same zing again! I zought we got rid of it!”

“Apparently not.” Kirk stood up, his voice switching into command mode. “Dr. prince, I’m sorry but- Dr. Prince!?!”

Diana had already bolted out of the bridge. 

She was sprinting down the halls, and could hear her name called after her but she didn't turn around. She ran to her quarters and threw off her clothes. Underneath was her armor that she had put on this morning. She grabbed her lasso, shield, sword and lastly her cloak to hide it all under. It had occurred to her if she showed up looking like she wanted to fight, she might not be able to even talk to Apollo. 

She flew back out of her room and down to the transporter room.

There was just one man there.

“And who might you be, lassie?” he asked. 

“I'm Dr. Prince and I need you to beam me down. Now.” Her voice was a command.

“Ay- I can't just-”

At that moment Kirk ran into the room with Dr. McCoy, the helmsman with the accent, Commander Spock, and Lieutenant Uhura all right behind. 

“Dr. Prince,” he gasped, leaning his hand slightly on a nearby beam. “What are you…” he waved his hand, “I mean, what are we doing here? Did you know that thing was still alive?”

“Yes! I mean, I was pretty sure” she said, confused. “I wanted to make sure the threat was neutralized. What did you think we were coming back here for?!”

“To get some artifact or record or something!” he yelled back like this was clearly an obvious conclusion. 

She just stared at him with a flabbergasted look on her face.

“YOU’RE A HISTORIAN!” His eyes were wide and his eyebrows near the top of his hairline. He shook his hands at her with his mouth open, and then suddenly made a weird expression as if he had just noticed she had changed into a cloak and had put on an odd headband. 

He shook his head, clearly putting clothes changes at the bottom of his list of questions. 

She stepped onto the pad. “I need to get down there now.”

“Do not beam her anywhere, Mr. Scott!” yelled Kirk. 

“Do it.” Diana glared at the man. “Now.”

“He’s not going to listen to you, I’m the captain!”

“Yeah, but she’s a Vice Admiral,” suddenly interjected Dr. McCoy, who had his arms folded and looking both angry and smug. 

“What?!” Echoed just about everyone in the room.

“I knew you were trouble,” said Dr. McCoy, squinting at her. 

Diana rolled her eyes. “Yes, I am a vice Admiral, which means I outrank him. Beam me down.”

“What kind of historian are you?!” asked Kirk, incredulously.

Mr. Scott looked at Kirk. “I'm sorry sir, but if that's true, I have to beam her down.”

“Wait!” he cried, jumping onto the pad. The others followed suit.

“What are you doing?!” demanded Diana. 

“Coming with you!” he said. 

“No!” she yelled back, pointing for him to get off the pad, a glint of her cuff peeking out of the cloak. 

“Look,” he glared back at her, “I have no idea what is happening right now, but you don't have to go alone.”

The words _But I do_ stuck in her throat as she glared back. She stared at him for a few seconds, and he stared right back.

Finally she closed her eyes, let out a deep breath and commanded, “Energize.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I've been doing my best to update frequently and also give you a well written story, so I must apologize that my replies to comments have fallen by the wayside. Hours in the day, you know? I'm assuming everyone is of the feeling, updates > comment replies, though. But really, I love reading them and want to thank all of you for taking the time to leave feedback and share your feelings. It is much appreciated.

Down on the planet, the party of six appeared.

As soon as she was solid matter again, Diana was wiping around, looking for Apollo. 

There was the ruins of a temple nearby. She assumed this was the one detailed in report and she quickly walked over to it to see if she could figure out if it really did have anything to do with his power. 

“Slow down!” she heard Kirk call behind her. 

She turned around. 

“You need to stay out of my way,” she looked at him and and then over the other four. “Seriously. He could be dangerous.”

She kept walking over to the temple. Kirk followed her. 

“Wait, so,” he pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly trying to decide what to ask first, “I didn't even know you were a Starfleet officer…you're a Vice Admiral? Since when? That's a big promotion and I don't remember hearing about it.”

“It wasn't recent,” she said, bending down to look at the rubble at her feet. From what she could tell, there wasn't anything special about it other than rock. 

“But you have to have combat experience!” he said, crawling over the broken rock. “Do you?”

She snorted at that, still engrossed in searching her surroundings and not looking at him. 

“I think that means yes,” called Dr. McCoy. The rest of the party had caught up and were standing at the base of the destroyed temple. 

Climbing down, as she was unsatisfied with what she found, she began inspecting the surrounding area. 

“When were you in combat? Wait no-” Kirk cut himself off. “What are we doing here? How did you know we hadn't killed the alien?”

“He’s not an alien,” she stated, finally looking at him. 

“No, I'm not.” Apollo had appeared and was now standing on the ruins of the temple right where they had been a few moments ago. He loomed above the group with a benevolent smile that terrified Diana. 

“I see you have come to understand your true place,” he said arms outstretched, “and have returned to me, bringing others.”

His eyes fell on Diana who was now glaring at him.

“They haven't come to worship you,” said Diana. She looked the man dressed in traditional Greek clothes up and down. “If you're Apollo, how did you get here?” she demanded. 

Apollo seemed to be amused by her. 

“One of the new ones has spirit. I like it!” he laughed. 

Diana did not smile. “Answer my question. Why aren't you in earth?”

“I fled almost two thousand years ago,” he said. “Family squabble, let's put it.”

Diana knew as he said this that he was who he said. This was Apollo. She stared at him, her heart aching. She had been away from anyone like her for so long. And here stood what was probably the last of her kind. When she had fought Ares, she hadn't thought about this, but now, after hundreds of years of being alone, it weighed on her. 

“These people thought you were dead.”

“I am a god. I cannot die by their hands,” he scoffed. 

“Why did you let them think that?” Diana demanded. 

“I wanted them to leave. When they wouldn't worship me, I had no interest in them. Besides, there are too few of them.”

“What do you mean?” Diana asked, afraid she already knew the answer. 

“You all would never be enough!” he exclaimed. “I need all of humanity to fall before me. For years I have known I would return, but when they came,” he looked at Kirk, Dr. McCoy, and the helmsman hungrily, “I knew it was time to return to my rightful place.” 

Her stomach churned. She didn't want to hear this. She wanted to hear that he was just lonely. Maybe. Maybe he was. 

“Then why didn't you just kill them?”

“An old hunting trick I learned from my sister,” he said. “Why kill one bird when they can lead you to the nest? I could see the trail their ship left across the stars.”

“Fascinating,” said Spock behind her. “A being capable of seeing the micro particles the warp engines emit.”

If she wasn't becoming more and more aware of how dire the situation was, she would have laughed. Of course a Vulcan would still find something to scientifically observe when a god was threatening humanity. 

“Why didn't you just go home?” Diana asked, confused.

“I was disoriented when I fled,” he admitted. “I did not track my journey.”

“Great,” muttered Dr. McCoy. “He had no way back and we gave it to him.”

“He probably would have figured it out eventually,” offered Diana quickly. “You just sped up the process.”

“Do not despair!” cried Apollo. “You will see, I am meant to rule over you. It is how things are to be.”

“Earth is different now,” Diana informed him. “They won't want to worship you.” She wanted to talk him out of this. Get him to see things clearly. She knew it was a pipe dream though, as Kirk’s report on what kind of man he was had been pretty clear. 

“Oh but they will. I don't care if they don't want to.” He was still smiling, but he took one step forward and his movements were particularly menacing. “They will see, it is how they should be.”

“No. No, they should be free to rule themselves,” fired back Diana. “They are not yours to subjugate.”

“Oh woman, they truly are though.”

Diana made a fist but then relaxed it. 

“Years ago my brother and my father disagreed on humanity,” Apollo continued. “My father sounded like you, and my brother thought they should die. But I see that they were both wrong now. They are weak, so they need someone powerful to control them.”

“I told you, they won't do it,” Diana kept her voice even, hiding the desperation that lay beneath. “You can leave here. Go find another planet with other beings. Or even go to earth and just live a life.”

He stepped forward again. 

“I want to live the life that is my birthright. To rule over the world of men.” His smile was fading. “I will not be denied this.”

“You don't want it!” she shouted in a last attempt to dissuade him. “Their worship, you don't want it. It comes at too high a cost.” 

“I had it for years. I know what I want.” Apollo looked at her as if he was trying to see through her. 

“You're wrong. You don't know what humans are any more.” It was taking all of her effort to keep her voice from shaking as she continued. “They will worship you, but one day, you won't be what they want. What they think they deserve. They will turn on you. They will destroy you.” Her eyes pleaded with him to believe her. To give up. 

He just scoffed. 

“I’m a god. Humans can't destroy me.”

“But they can kill everything you love!” she yelled back. “They can rip away everything you care about and then leave you alone. Completely and utterly alone.”

Apollo gazed at her for a moment and then said, “You are not one of them.”

Diana didn't say anything. He kept looking at her. 

“Who are you?” he asked slowly. 

“Who I am does not matter.”

“Who are you?” he demanded, voice growing louder. 

Diana stared him back down.

“WHO ARE YOU?!” he bellowed, raising his hand. One of the broken pillars of the temple flew up in the air and straight at them. 

“Move!!!” she heard Kirk yell, but they couldn't fast enough.

Diana’s arm shot out from her cloak, catching the pillar in one hand before it could hit anyone. 

They had all ducked when it flew at them, but now, realizing it hadn't hit, looked up to see Diana toss it away. 

“Vat ze hell…” she heard the helmsman whisper. All of their eyes were huge. 

“I,” she said, letting her cloak fall off her, revealing her full armor, “am Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons and,” she paused while she glared at him, “Zeus, king of the gods.”

“No.” Apollo’s voice was almost a whisper. “No,” he said again, louder this time. “You are a lie!” he hissed at her. “A threat my father used to scare my brother, nothing more.”

“Do I look like a lie?” she demanded. 

Any trace of a friendly air had now left, and he was sneering at her. “I will rule them! As I was meant to! And I will not let you stand in my way!”

“Well, I will not let you enslave them,” she threw back. 

“Then you leave me no choice,” he said raising his hands. He shot a beam of light light at her.

Diana threw her shield in front of her quickly, bracing herself behind it. It held the blow, but the force propelled her back, and she found she was standing almost right next to Kirk. Still bracing herself behind the shield against the blast pouring at her, she turned to him and said, “You might want to move.”

Kirk did as she suggested and as soon as he and the others were out of the way, she forced the blast back at him with a burst of energy that shook the ground. 

The force knocked Apollo over, but he quickly came back up, and now seemed to hover above the ground.

“I am not just another one of my father’s children. I am the heir to Olympus!” His voice shook the earth as he glared at her. “Do you truly think that you can hurt me?”

“Yes,” she smirked, pulling her sword from her back and spinning it in her hand. For whatever else she was feeling, she hadn't had a decent fight in over 300 years. It was time to stretch her legs. She ran for a few steps and then thrust herself into the air, jumping above him. She swung hard. He dodged her at the last second, propelling himself fifty feet away. But not before grasping at his arm where she had cut him. 

He moved his hand and there was a visibly large gash across his bicep. He looked back at her. He raised his hands and four giant boulders rose from the ground and all pelted themselves at her. Light on her feet, she lept between each one, finally jumping to punch the last one back toward him. 

He held out his hand and blasted it into a thousand pieces.

“Why are you defending them?” he bellowed at her as he reached one hand up toward the sky. Clouds gathered suddenly and Diana looked up just in time to see lightning crackel and come down into Apollo’s hand. She ran as fast as she could straight into him, knocking him backward. 

“Because I am an Amazon. It is my duty to protect them,” she walked toward him, where he lay on the ground grasping at his chest where she had hit him. 

He looked up at her and suddenly all the rocks, trees, ruin, all that lay around him suddenly started to float into the air. They hovered. “No you're not. You are not an Amazon. An Amazon couldn't do _this_ ,” he said as all of the debris shot at her.

She crossed her arms and out shot a shock wave. All the debris crumbled where it hung in the air and fell back to the ground. 

“See?” He had brought himself back up. “You may have been raised by warriors but you are the child of a god. You deserve more.”

“Not interested,” she cut him off before he could go into a speech about her rightful place alongside him. He reached for another bolt of lightning, and flung it at her, but she caught it in her cuffs and blasted it back toward him. 

Oddly enough, he seemed less weakened by this than when she had just head-butted him. She grabbed her lasso and sipped it around one of the pillars. She flung it in his direction, pinning him between it and a large boulder. 

She walked toward Apollo. “I don't want to hurt you.” She got close to him. “I can show you. It doesn't have to be how you think.”

Diana hadn't noticed one of his arms was not quite as pinned as the rest of him. With it, he quickly snatched at her lasso. In a flick of his wrist it was around her neck. 

“This isn't yours,” he sneered. “It belonged to Hestia, and I know what it can do.” Diana grasped at her throat, trying to pull it away, but it didn't move. The pillar holding Apollo fell to the ground as she struggled to breathe. He loomed over her. 

“I can see what you see. I can feel what you feel.” Suddenly, a thousand images flooded Diana’s mind. Bombs going off, sirens wailing, helicopters flying overhead. She sat smiling on a beach next to a giggling woman with dark skin and an afro, but then abruptly she was hugging a man in a red bodysuit. A man screamed on a huge screen demanding that if the Justice League could not give them loyalty, it was time to show them what real power looked like. Steve stood before her bathed in a deep blue light, saying, “You can do something, or you can do nothing.” She was on an airstrip and he was running away. 

“Liar,” hissed Apollo. “You say their love is too high a price, yet you freely give them yours.” His eyes bore into her. “You don't defend them out of duty or honor, you _love_ them.” It was an insult.

She was seeing memories and feeling things that did not belong to her. Shouting with an old man that looked much like him, touching volcanoes, warring siblings. She felt his deep lack of compassion and hunger for a throne he had never taken. His power felt like nothing she had known. If he wasn't stopped, she could only imagine what he would be able to do back on earth. 

Lights began to flicker before her eyes and she tried desperately to think of a way to free herself when suddenly there was a soft _thwack_. 

The noise had come from beside Apollo. She looked over to see not Kirk, not Spock, but the small helmsman holding a stick maybe the size of her arm in his hands. He appeared to have hit the god with it. 

Apollo was clearly not injured, but he was so surprised as he turned to see what had hit him, that the grip he had pulled on the rope loosened ever so slightly. It was just enough for her to break free. With all the force she had, Diana blasted Apollo away, in the opposite direction of the helmsman. 

Rage blazed in his eyes as he realized what happened. Diana noticed again though that he didn't appear nearly as disoriented as when she had simply used brute force. 

“Last chance,” she yelled at him. “Go in peace. Agree to leave humanity be.”

“What? And be like you?” he shouted back as he stalked back toward her. “Useless? Living below her glory? Weak?” He stopped. “I’d rather die.”

“As you wish,” she responded, barely loud enough to hear. 

He raised his hands to toss more lightning at her. But it crackled before it touched her. She walked toward him, letting all of the things he threw her way explode around her. Light burst everywhere, but she did not try and dodge, simply kept to her straight line until she stood right before him. She pulled out her sword, but his hand was too quick. He gripped her wrist so she couldn't swing her arm. She struggled against him, but his other hand blasted the sword off somewhere behind her. In the blast she snatched her arm back, but then it was just the two of them. Apollo moved his hand as if to fire something else at her, but before he could, Diana had thrown all her might into simply punching him. Her fist sank into his stomach, and he crumpled to his knees in front of her. She glared down at him. 

“Goodbye,” she said. With that, she reached down, and in one swift movement, snapped his neck. 

Apollo’s dead body fell at her feet, and the clouds began to clear. 

 

Jim stood frozen, staring at the two titans before him. Well, one now. 

He had witnessed his share of scary things. Strange aliens and phaser fire were part of his day to day life and he had looked death in the eye more times than he could count. 

But the woman who stood before him had to be one of the most terrifying things he had ever seen.

Every part of him screamed that this being, this god who was now falling to her knees, was something to run from. But he didn't. 

As Jim looked at her face, he didn't see rage. He didn't see triumph. He saw thick silent tears. He saw overwhelming grief. He started walking toward her. 

“Jim!” cried out Bones, grabbing his arm and looking at him like, _What the hell are you doing?_

“Let him go.” It was Uhura. She reached out and pulled away the doctor’s hand. 

Slowly, Jim approached and stood beside her. She was sitting on her feet now, with her arms braced on her knees. Her fingers were digging into the skin. She made no sound other than slow, even breaths. Her body didn't shake, but the tears kept falling. 

After a few seconds, she reached her hand up, and held it out to Jim without turning her head to look at him. This shocked him, but he moved his own to take hers. Before he could, she asked, “Can I use your comm?”

“Oh,” Jim said, awkwardly putting his hand down. “Um, yeah, sure.” He reached in his back pocket and handed it to her. 

“This is Dr. Prince. Can you beam down a shovel?” Her voice sounded a little tired, but was perfectly even. 

“Ay- ma’am,” responded Scotty’s voice. “Any certain type?”

“Just any regular spade is fine.”

For a second Jim was confused. As soon as the shovel appeared next to her, she lifted Apollo’s body with one arm and took the shovel with the other. She stood and began to walk away. 

Then he realized, she was going to bury him. She was going to go bury the god Apollo.

And from what he heard of their conversation, she was going to bury her brother. 

He watched her for a second and then said into his communicator, “Scotty, beam down one more.”

She had walked to a patch of earth that wasn't overly ripped up. Apollo was placed on the ground, and she began driving the metal into the dirt. It was an odd sight. This being had just wielded unimaginable power, and now she stood before him, looking not unlike the farmers back in Iowa. 

Jim walked up and started digging, too. She stopped and looked at him for the first time since all this began. 

“What?” he asked, as he kept digging, not breaking eye contact. 

She said nothing and after a moment returned to her task.

After a few minutes there was a god sized hole in the ground, and she lifted Apollo and placed him inside. They returned the dirt to its place and then she was looking around. Her eyes landed on a small boulder which she picked up and put at the top of the grave. With her finger she carved, _Apollo, last of the Olympians_.

She returned to her knees. Jim made to leave, but then suddenly he heard, “You can stay.”

He stood there for a second, and then sat down. They were silent for a while. 

“Thank you,” he said. 

She turned to look at him with her brow furrowed.

“I mean, he wanted to enslave humanity by the sound of it and you stopped that, so… thanks.” His words felt so small. He felt so small.

She smiled softly and nodded. 

“It couldn't have been easy, him being your brother and all.” 

“He’s not the first one I've killed,” she stated. 

“Oh.” Jim wasn't sure how to respond to that. He wasn't sure how to respond to any of this. 

“It was easier before. I hadn't been…” she swallowed and didn't finish her sentence. 

“I'm sorry.”

A look of peace had come across her face. “I will be fine. It's not that he’s my brother. I didn't know him. It was just for a moment, I had hope that I wasn't alone in the universe anymore.”

Jim sat there with her for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify, at no point was the away team just standing around. I just could t figure out a way to work in their actions without messing with the flow and making the chapter too bogged down. Just in case you were wondering about anything other than Checkov and his stick, lol.


	13. Chapter 13

"And zen ze was like, POW POW POW!" Checkov was recounting for Scotty and Sulu what had happened down on the planet. "Apollo, he zrew a rock right at her! Like, a big rock," he mimed a boulder the size of the room, "AND ZE CAUGHT IT IN HER HAND and tossed it away like old borscht."

"I don believe this!" Mr. Scott laughed. "You're pullin my leg." 

"I assure you his account is mostly accurate," said Spock, sipping at his tea. “A little out of order and I believe it was a marble column from the temple that she caught. But otherwise true.”

The entire away team, now joined by Mr. Scott and Mr. Sulu sat with Diana in one of the ship's conference rooms. 

“Wait, so you're really a Greek god?” asked Sulu, turning toward Diana. “And those are real things, not just stories some guy in a toga made up?”

“Yes,” nodded Diana with a patient smile. 

She was feeling better. Apollo had been cruel and she did not feel guilty over his death. While part of her mourned the fact that she was now indeed the last of her father’s children, she had tried to leave most of those feelings at Apollo’s grave. 

“So, like what can you do?” Sulu asked. 

Diana laughed. “That is a broad question.”

“Wait, wait, let's start at the beginning,” said Kirk waving a hand. He was sitting across from her. “Is that-” he looked at her, “is that ok?”

She nodded sincerely. 

“Ok then. How old are you?”

“I am approximately 1,800 earth years old,” she answered. 

“Are you the god of anything?” Uhura put forward. 

“My title is technically The God Killer,” she said. “My brother, Ares, the God of War, hated humanity and sought to kill everyone. He and my father and other siblings fought over this, and while Ares was temporarily subdued, all the rest died,” she paused, “well, I suppose not Apollo. Anyways,” she continued, “when it was clear there would be no one left to defend the world, Zeus left me, the last child he ever had with the queen of the Amazons to become the God Killer if need be. Only a god can kill another god.”

They all sat, processing what she had said. “So…” Checkov finally started, “vat happened to Ares? Wait, vat are ze Amazons?”

“The Amazons are a society of women created to persuade men's hearts toward good. They are also the fiercest warriors. They live on an island hidden from the world called Themyscira. I lived there for most of my life,” she smiled at the thought. “It’s beautiful. But I left it during World War I. Ares had returned and I went to kill him and save the world, never allowed to return.”

“Were you successful?” asked Spock. 

“In killing Ares? Yes. I was. Saving the world,” she laughed, “that is not as simple of a thing. I now believe that the world is not mine to save, that is yours. But humanity is still mine to defend.”

“So you've been living among us for almost 350 years, and no one has noticed?” Dr. McCoy demanded. 

“People used to know who I was,” she replied. “Everyone did. They called me Wonder Woman,” she laughed. “I fought to defend people with another group, largely made up of what, in the 21st century, were called metahumans, people either by genetic or scientific accident had powers, as it were.”

Kirk looked confused. “I’m pretty well versed in a lot of earth’s history, especially it's fighting, and I’ve never heard of this. Wait,” he stopped, “are you talking about the people out of the Eugenics Programs?”

“No,” she said. “Actually the reason why no one has heard of me, or meta humans is because of the Eugenics Programs. Sort of. You know those were the main cause of World War III, correct?”

Kirk nodded. 

“Well we took the side of the Anti-enhancement collation, which did not go over well. The countries supporting them were enraged that this group of global heros as it were had opposed them, and they wiped us out, including any record we ever existed.”

“That's what you meant, down on the planet,” interjected Uhura. “When you told Apollo humanity would turn on him.”

“It is,” answered Diana. "Though I should clarify, I did not mean it when I said it wasn't worth it.” She gave Uhura a reassuring smile. “But it's true that after the war, I wasn't interested in going back to what I had been.”

There was a silence in the room for a minute before it was broken loudly by Kirk. “Wait! I wanna know why Bones knew about you,” he said, pointing a finger at the doctor. “And you weren't particularly happy about it either. Well, you're never happy about anything…” he trailed off. “But you didn't say anything, either!”

“Well, I didn't know she was a damned Greek god!” McCoy fired back. 

“But you knew… something!”

McCoy looked at Diana, who sighed. “Go ahead.”

“I lied!” he admitted. “I didn't use Khan’s blood to fix you five years ago, I used hers!” He threw his hands up in the air in defeat. 

“Wait, WHAT?” Kirk looked even more confused.

“Doctor, if you will elaborate, please,” requested Spock. 

“They had just brought me your body, and you were laying there all dead, well mostly dead,” he explained, exasperation in his voice. “And I was gunna try and use Khan’s blood when suddenly she,” he waved at Diana, “waltzes in and says, ‘that's a stupid idea.’”

“I didn’t-” Diana began but McCoy was still going, his confession tumbling out. 

“So she sticks herself and hands over a huge syringe of her blood and then says, ‘Forget I was ever here,’ and walks back out the door!”

“You just stuck me with a stranger's blood?” Kirk said with a combination of offense and amusement. 

“You were already dead, Jim!” he fired back. “I wasn't gunna make you worse.” 

Jim turned to Diana, his voice softer. “Why would you help me?”

Diana had entered this room planning on answering all their questions honestly, but she did not feel comfortable getting into Steve Trevor here. She tried to think of another answer. 

“I was very close with Ambassador Spock,” she said, looking over and smiling at the Vulcan next to her. “We worked together a lot on New Vulcan. Once, I mentioned to him that I thought Starfleet’s decision to put such a young,” she turned to Kirk with a smile teasing at the corner of her mouth, “and reckless officer at the helm of our newest flagship was a poor decision.”

Kirk looked surprised, went to say something, and then rethought it. 

“He told me that you had a potential for greatness in you, and he was optimistic you would grow out of the anger of your youth. I've heard few people speak as he did of you. I thought it would be a shame if you didn't live to see the future he believed you had.”

Kirk was clearly touched by this, and glanced over at Spock.

“Well,” he said, turning back to her, “thank you. It seems you’ve saved me twice.”

McCoy folded his arms and started talking again. “I didn't just stick you and forget about it,” he clarified. “I looked her up and her Starfleet record said she was a Vice Admiral for almost 80 years.” He leaned forward. “But that all I knew. She was old, an Admiral, and not…” he looked for a word, “normal.”

“How did you end up at Starfleet?” asked Sulu.

“Back in the late 22nd century, there were a lot of minor military conflicts, and I was on the Federation Council on Interplanetary Strategic Defence. They kept coming to me for assistance, and eventually I was making a lot of executive decisions. They requested that I join Starfleet as a Vice Admiral.”

“Ok…” Sulu thought for a second. “But how did you end up with the Federation, then?”

“I used to be a professor back at Oxford. When the Federation was first proposed, it filled me with such hope. It was so wildly ambitious and I loved every part of it. That was when I began being involved in more government affairs so I could advocate for it. I was asked to join the council in 2182. I still kept a low profile though.”

“You hid in plain sight,” observed Kirk. 

“I did,” she smiled back at him. “I've discovered that it's not overly difficult when you are either at the very bottom or very top of seniority. People tend to leave those people alone. And I rarely ever go by my rank, so most people only know me from the Federation and are uninterested in a long time government bureaucrat.”

“And no one asked about your age?” asked Kirk. 

“Well, that's the wonderful part of living in this brave new world. There are a variety of answers to that that could be true,” she said with a sly grin. 

“I thought you might be part Vulcan,” shrugged McCoy. 

“And when you realized,” she pointed out to Kirk, “how did you react?”

He paused, and then a slow smile crept across his face, “I apologized for bringing it up.”

“A not untypical reaction.” She looked around at all of them. “Look, I believe goes without saying, but I am not interested in changing the status quo in regards to my relationship with the Federation or Starfleet. I've never really lied to them, but I'd prefer to keep things as is.”

“I believe,” Spock began, “I can speak for everyone here and say our discretion on the matter will remain unless directed otherwise.”

“Thank you Mr. Spock,” she nodded. “Individually, it's not a problem, but I've seen too many governments and organization react with suspicion and control when confronted with someone like me. Or just me. I'm not saying that I am convinced that would be the Federation’s reaction, but I would prefer to decide on my own terms if and when their awareness of my identity increases.” 

They all nodded in understanding. She thought they were done and all about to return to their posts when suddenly Dr. McCoy burst out, “I'm sorry!” His arms were still folded and he looked grumpy.

“You did a nice thing and just wanted to be left alone and I assumed the worst and was rude and… just, I'm sorry.”

She looked at the doctor, an amused expression on her face. “That’s alright. It's understandable.”

“Still…” he said, waving his hand and not exactly looking at her. 

Kirk smiled. “Well, with that heartfelt apology, I think that's it's best if we return to the bridge.”

They all got up and left the room and began walking down the hall. Diana turned to walk the other way back to her room, but she looked at Kirk first.

“Captain,” she nodded goodbye. 

He returned the gesture. “Dr. Prince.”

They turned and walked away from each other, both with a small smile on their lips. 

 

Diana had just finished packing her bag and was walking out of her room.

It was a day later and she was getting off at the next planet, which had a shuttle that could get her back to earth. She was almost to the transporter room when she heard her name.

“Dr. Prince!” Kirk was making his way down the hall, almost jogging. “Or should I say Admiral? No one else is here…” he shook his head. “No, never mind. Umm…” He looked at her and smiled, slightly out of breath. “Uh…”

“Come to say goodbye?” she asked raising an eyebrow, but in a friendly way. 

“Yes! Uh, no actually. I was thinking…” He looked at her let out a short nervous laugh, “Would you like to stay?”

“What?”

“On the Enterprise. Stay.”

“I-” She was shocked at the request. “I have to get back to San Francisco…” she said pointing behind her at the transporter room. 

“Yeah, but…” Kirk grinned, “you're a Vice Admiral, and have seniority over nearly everyone at the Federation, so you can probably do what you want.” 

“Not all of us just do what we want,” she replied. 

“I think you've earned some time away,” he looked at her eagerly. “Come on, come have an adventure.”

She raised both eyebrows and laughed at that. “I assure you I've had my fair share of adventures.”

Kirk shook his head. “Not on the Enterprise.” He beamed at her with excitement pouring out of him like sunshine. 

Diana had never seen such joy radiating from someone, and the fact that it was coming from the face that had first showed her the good of humanity, well, she would be lying if she said it wasn't having an effect.

Diana had stopped believing in destiny and nothing had changed in that regard. But that didn't change the fact that destiny still was not done with her. 

To repeat, the how of the question regarding James T. Kirk and his resemblance to Steve Trevor did not matter, but the why did. 

And the why was wrapped in this moment. The hand of fate does not force the hand of the person. It works within each's agency. But years ago it had decided that this moment was too important to risk. It would take no chances, and had done all it could to get the answer it wanted. 

Destiny had grand plans in store for her, and it hinged on her saying yes. 

Diana looked at Kirk, then down the hall to the transporter, and then back at Kirk. 

She took a deep breath. "Well..."

 

_Captain's log, stardate 2265.63: Dr. Diana Prince, a senior Federation Official has now joined the crew of the Enterprise for several weeks, though she does not have a specific scheduled departure date. She first arrived to provide a follow up observation on a flagged report, however has seen fit to stay aboard. Dr. Prince will be observing missions and reporting back to the Federation on the typical operations of a starship. This long term exposure to day to day life and the strategic process of its individual missions by an outside observer will be invaluable to both the crew’s growth and record keeping for the Federation. The Enterprise is happy to welcome her on board._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think based on some comments that I've seen some of you might be under the impression the story is over. Guys we're not even halfway through Lol


	14. Chapter 14

The slow woosh of the automatic door opened into the bridge. 

Diana looked around at everyone. Sulu was leaning on the palm of his hand, tapping the same spot in his screen over and over. Checkov was staring off in to nothing with his eyes half glazed. Spock was looking at his screen and writing something on a pad. Uhura yawned. 

“Picture in three...two...one…” said Spock. 

“Vat? Oh…” Checkov snapped out of his daze and pushed a button. As soon as he had, he went back to staring at nothing. 

The doors wooshed again. 

“Dr. Prince!” It was Kirk. He smiled as he sat down. “How are you doing today?”

“Fine,” she said, looking around. “I see you're doing some star mapping. Again.”

“Picture in three...two...one…” Spock said again. 

Checkov didn't respond. 

“Mr. Checkov?” Spock asked, turning around. 

“Vat…? Oh, I'm sorry…” He pushed the button. 

Diana looked at Kirk with a raised eyebrow. “I can't believe this exhilarating work is not keeping your crew on the tips of their toes.”

“Star mapping is important,” responded Kirk, if a touch half heartedly.

“I’m aware,” said Diana. “But all ships do this, and I believe I was sold an adventure specific to the Enterprise.” Her tone was only mock serious. “It's been a week, and I've seen about as much adventure as a meeting with the Stellar Observational Society.”

“I hear those guys are a hoot,” joked Kirk. His voice was quieter as he continued so the random helmsmen walking around couldn't hear. “And you know for someone who's a million years old, I'd think you'd be more patient.”

The other people milling about the bridge may not have heard, but Sulu did, evidenced by his sudden laugh.

“I am not a million years old,” sighed Diana as she rolled her eyes. However a warm feeling inside of her came at that joke. There was something nice about being able to be honest and laugh about it. 

“Commander?” asked Checkov, suddenly louder and more alert. “Somezing is coming up, I'm not sure vat…”

A blue speck was approaching, getting larger and larger.

“It appears to be a planet, Class L if my sensors are correct,” said Spock. “I have no record of its existence.”

“Signs of life?” asked Kirk.

“...Yes. Although my sensors-”

“Excellent! A new planet!” Kirk popped out of his chair. 

“-are struggling to determine-”

“Ready to go see what's down there?” Kirk asked Diana, his grin back on his face. 

“-exactly how much of the planet is inhabited because-”

“Yes, but I think Commander Spock is saying something,” she said, trying not to laugh. 

“Yes, Spock. Planet, sensor mystery, gotta go down, I've got it.”

“It it is cold, Jim. The average temperature seems to be -18 degrees Celsius.”

“So, bring a jacket?” replied Kirk. 

“A thicker garment than a jacket would be recommended.”

“Got it. Sulu, Checkov, Uhura, you're with me,” he pointed to himself then out of the bridge. “Commander Spock, you have the com.” He turned to Diana. “Let's go,” He exclaimed, raising his eyebrows.

The five of them walked out of the bridge and to the turbolift. They went down to find one of the rooms where extra equipment was kept. Checkov was talking to Kirk at the front of the group as they walked down the hall, and Uhura was tapping away at something on her pad. 

“Is he always like this?” Diana asked Sulu.

“Kirk? Honestly? Yeah, he is,” Sulu replied with a chuckle. “I mean he didn't used to be.”

“What do you mean?” Diana asked, looking at Checkov and Kirk as they talked. 

“Well, look, he's always been a good captain, and parts of this have always been there. But for the first few years he was just so filled with this desire to prove something. It was kind of this big chip on his shoulder. Then of course we got the 5 year mission, which was amazing. But it was still there, that drive to prove he should or could be in that chair.” Sulu sighed. “And then it just kinda faded away into… I don't know… boredom? There were rumors he was gunna leave.” 

“Starfleet?” she asked, quietly. 

“No, just the Enterprise.”

“What changed?”

“Did you hear about what happened 8 or so months ago in Yorktown?”

“You mean where you had the Enterprise blast The Beastie Boys at an alien swarm?” Diana remembered just about everyone at headquarters talking about it. “Yeah, that report got around.”

Sulu laughed. “That was easily one of the crazier things we’ve done, and we've done some things.” Sulu shrugged, “I don't know exactly what happened, but it's like,” he paused, thinking. “It's like he finally figured out why he was doing this.”

“Which is?”

“He loves space. He loves discovery. He loves absolutely everything about what Starfleet is trying to do. Seek out new life and new civilizations? To go where no one has gone before? That's what he's here for.”

They had reached the room with the equipment. Kirk found the snow gear and started tossing everyone parkas. 

As Diana zipped herself in, she said to Sulu, still quietly, so it was just them, “So he realized he liked his job?”

“He realized he loved he loved to fly.” Sulu flipped up the hood on his coat, but then pushed back the fur so,he could see her. “Has he done that thing yet, when he talks about the Enterprise?”

“You mean where his face lights up?” She whispered back. “Yeah, he did that when he was trying to convince me to stay.”

“It's crazy, right?” Sulu nodded. “I'm pretty sure that is what pure joy looks like.”

“What are you two whispering about?” demanded Kirk. 

“Nothing,” Sulu called back. “We’re ready to go.”

“Alright!” he smiled. “Let's go see a planet!”

 

Down on the surface they were trekking through snow that was almost up to Diana’s waist. The wind whipped around them making the few patches of exposed skin on their face sting. It was so loud they had to nearly scream at each other to be heard. 

“Didn't Spock say there was supposed to be some life around here?” yelled Kirk.

“Yeah,” yelled back Uhura, “but I can’t imagine anything living in somewhere like this.”

“You'd be surprised,” said Kirk.

“Zis is like springtime in Russia!” called Checkov. “I'm sure ze life forms are around here somewhere.”

“What's that?” Diana yelled, pointing over a hill at something that appeared to be moving toward them.

A glowing cube that was spinning came up and hovered about 20 feet in front of them.

“It appears to be some sort of beacon!” cried Checkov, looking at his tricorder. 

“Can we communicate with it?” yelled Kirk.

“I'm trying,” shouted Uhura, “but it doesn't seem to be responding to any of the frequencies I'm putting out.”

“Should we touch it?” asked Sulu.

They all turned to Diana. “Hey!” she yelled, putting her hands up, “I'm just here to observe.” While the report that has been filed with Starfleet as to why she was staying was not entirely true, she did want to at least make an attempt to do the job she claimed she was doing. Plus the teacher in her actually did want to watch how they would react. The cube seemed innocuous enough, and she was sure they could handle the situation. 

“Well it was your suggestion Mr. Sulu,” called Kirk. “Go ahead.”

Sulu approached the object, but before he could touch it it started emitting a high pitched squeal it spun faster and faster. Diana found it annoying, but it seemed to have a significantly worse effect on the others. They buckled and their hands flew to their faces. Faint burns were starting to appear, and they cried out in pain. 

Diana’s gut reaction was to stop the thing that was causing them pain, but she wasn't sure how. She wasn't even sure what the cube was. Trying to think quickly about how to disarm it she ran closer.

“What should we do!” yelled Sulu. 

“I say ve just shoot it!” called back Checkov.

All of them continued to wince at the burns that were now turning darker.

“Sounds good,” exclaimed Kirk, and he fires four phaser shots toward the cube. 

It exploded, and the sound stopped. 

All of them stood up, and gasped for air.

“What the hell was that?” asked Uhura, rubbing her face. “I thought my skin was gunna fall off.”

Diana wasn't sure just shooting it was the best option, but then again it was attacking them. She reminded herself that she was trying to observe. 

The group walked up to the ruins of the object and scanned the burned bits. 

“Was this the life form that Spock thought he saw?” asked Kirk.

“No,” answered Sulu. “It’s not alive. I mean it wasn't. It's definitely a machine.”

“That means there have to be life for around here somewhere, or else who could have made it?”

“You mean life forms like zat?” Checkov was pointing at four massive things moving toward them. They looked like giant harry cylinders with blue fur and massive black eyes. 

“WHO ARE YOU?” boomed one of the four, although it was hard to tell which, as they had no discernible mouth. 

“We are travelers!” answered Kirk. “Explorers! My name is James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise, and this is my crew!”

“WHY HAVE YOU DESTROYED OUR BEACON?”

“It attacked us first!” he called back. “We are sorry, though. We meant no harm, we just-”

“BUT YOU HAVE CAUSED HARM.”

“Yes, and I apologize, but like I said-”

“YOU SHALL COME WITH US OR WE WILL DESTROY YOU.”

They all looked at each other for a moment. 

“Alright, lead the way!” yelled Kirk. 

They began walking, following the cylinders.

“So does this happen to you a lot,” asked Diana, turning to Kirk. 

“Well,” he called back, “we’re usually better about not shooting first, but other than that, yeah. This is pretty typical.”

 

After walking about a half a mile, they came to what appeared to be a massive city. None of the buildings were overly tall, but structures of some sort seemed to stretch for miles. 

The aliens lead them into one that was pretty barren. It only had one large very tall circular room with no furniture and stone floors.

“YOU WILL STAY HERE FOR OBSERVATION,” commanded one of them.

“Look, we didn't mean any harm. Please, I think we can talk to each other,” said Kirk. 

“YOU WILL STAY HERE.” 

They left, and the door slid behind them with a large thud, becoming perfectly flush with the wall.

The five of them all pushed back their hoods. 

“So these are new,” said Sulu flippantly. 

“Mmm,” thought Kirk. “Uhura, can you contact the ship? Maybe there's something up there that can help us.”

“I think so,” she said, adjusting her comm. “Enterprise, Enterprise, come in Enterprise.”

“Spock here,” came the commander’s voice. “Have you made contact with any forms of alien life?”

“Yes,” she said. “We've actually been captured.”

“Based on your current coordinates, Mr. Scott cannot beam you out, as something seems to be blocking it.”

“Probably whatever this room is made out of,” she observed. “But we were wondering if the computer had anything about the beings holding us hostage.”

“Can you send your tricorder data?” Spock asked. 

“Yes, I think so. Hold on.” 

Uhura tapped a button, but as soon as she did, the door slid back open and one of the aliens came in. A large furry appendage shot out from it, knocking the comm and tricorder out of her hand. It moved over both of them and the objects disappeared into it. 

“YOU ARE COMMITTING DANGEROUS ACTS. FOR THIS YOU MUST BE PUNISHED. HAND OVER YOUR OTHER COMMUNICATION DEVICES AND WEPONS.”

Each of them held out their comm, and the alien did the same thing as with Uhura, knocking it out of their hand and then sweeping it up. 

The creature turned and went back out the door.

“Wait!” yelled Kirk. “What do you mean we must be punished?”

“YOU ARE OUR PRISONERS NOW.”

“But-” Sulu began, but the alien had already left, the door slamming behind it.

“So now what would you usually do?” asked Diana, scanning the walls for weak points. 

“Escape,” said Kirk. “Spock knows we're in trouble so if we can get somewhere that's not this room, they should be able to find us and eventually beam us out. 

Kirk walked over to the wall, looking up to see a window about 30 feet up. He felt the wall, how smooth it was. “I'm not sure how we're supposed to climb up there.”

“Let me,” said Diana. A little help wouldn't hurt. 

The room wasn't overly wide, so she decided to just climb up the wall. She punched a grip, and the another, quickly making her way up. 

“Ok that's amazing,” said Sulu. 

“You should have seen her with a sword,” said Kirk. 

“Wait, really?” He asked. “Do you fence?” He called after her. 

“Maybe another time,” interjected Uhura. 

“Right, right. Escape first, swords later.”

Diana made it to the window, and slid herself through, falling down and landing in the snow outside. She walked around and looked for a way to make the door open. There was a glowing orb at where she guessed the door would be, so she touched it. The door slid back, revealing the others. She grinned and they started to walk out when suddenly one of the aliens was right behind her.

“RETURN TO THE CHAMBER NOW.”

The noise the cube had made began again, and the other four fell to the ground.

Diana thought quickly. She could just kill the thing, but she wasn't sure that would disarm the noise. Also she didn't like the idea of just killing an unknown creature she had barely been able to talk to. She decided to go back in the room and think of another plan. 

As soon as she walked back in, the noise stopped. The alien turned back around and left again. 

“Well so much for that plan,” said Kirk. He half smiled at Diana. “Thanks anyways.”

“It-”

But a booming voice cut her off.

“CREATURES. WE HAVE SCANNED AND OBSERVED YOU. WE HAVE DECIDED YOUR SPECIES IS A THREAT. IT IS BEST IF YOU SHOULD DIE. IF YOU HAVE A DEITY OR DEITIES YOU SHOULD NOW MAKE PEACE WITH IT. YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES.”

They looked at each other, stunned. 

Finally Checkov asked as he pointed at Diana, “So should ve make peace wis her?” 

 

Kirk sat silently, thinking by himself. Six of their ten minutes had passed. 

“Sir,” Checkov hesitated, “I hate to point out the obvious, but couldn't ve just…” He looked at Diana. 

“No,” said Diana and Kirk in unison. They looked at each other. She wondered why he was so quick to say no as well, but her question was answered when he said,

“Just destroying something is what got us here. Let's try and not make the same mistake too many times.”

“Yes, but it's like ve’re playing chess and every time ve move they say ‘Checkmate!’”

Kirk rubbed the bridge of his nose. “But that makes no sense.”

“I don't know, I think the analogy works, sir,” said Sulu.

“No, no it doesn't make sense that I'm losing.” Kirk replied. 

Diana laughed. 

Kirk looked over at her, eyes sincere. “Really, I always win at chess.”

Diana looked over at Uhura who nodded in agreement. “Even Spock can't beat him.”

“What? You're telling me you can beat a Vulcan at chess?” Diana’s face was in shock.

“3D chess, actually,” he said with a small smile.

“Ok,” started Sulu, “then how are they about to kill us? They aren't exactly giving off super genius vibes. ”

“Nothing about their language indicates anything particularly advanced,” added Uhura as she looked over the universal translator. 

Kirk drummed his fingers on his mouth, the wheeled in his head turning. A moment later he said, “What if they're not playing chess?”

Diana remembered sitting in a hearing, listening to weather or not Kirk’s reaction to a no win scenario was to change the game was either an asset or liability to Starfleet. 

A lightbulb seemed to have popped on in his mind, because he had stood up and was calling for their captors.

“Hey! Hey! Is anyone out there?” He showed and banged on the wall. After about a minute, two of the blue aliens showed up. 

“YOU ARE MAKING A GREAT DEAL OF NOISE.”

“Yes, well I want to talk to you,” Kirk said in a commanding tone. “We would like to die now.”

Diana saw the looks of shock on the others faces, but none of them yelled out in protest. 

“AL-ALRIGHT…” 

It was the first time one of them had sounded surprised. 

“But…” Kirk added, “you should know that whenever a human dies, a toxic gas, deadly to all known creatures is emitted. It’s so powerful that it will kill everything in a 1,000 mile radius. Just so you know, so you have enough time to move.”

The two aliens turned to each other. They were silent for a moment, and then turned out the door with a, “WAIT HERE.”

Kirk turned around and smiled at them. “Not everything is chess. Sometimes it's just poker.”

“Your plan is to bluff them?” asked Diana raising her eyebrow.

“Yeah, I mean,” he looked back at the door, “I think it's working.”

“I hope so,” said Uhura. 

A few minutes later, the aliens came back in.

“WE HAVE DECIDED TO RELEASE YOU.”

Kirk grinned. “How gracious.”

“LEAVE AND DO NOT RETURN.”

“Done,” said Sulu. 

They walked out of the room. Kirk turned back. “We need our communication devices! And phasers!” he yelled, now that they were back in the wind. The aliens said nothing but moved to reveal what they had taken underneath them. The group all took their respective things, and began to make their way back toward where they beamed in.

“How did you know that would work?” yelled Uhura. 

“They did it first!” Kirk yelled back. 

“What? When?” asked Sulu. 

Kirk glanced at Diana and smiled. 

She sighed. “They didn't know I wasn’t human.”

“Vat?” shouted Checkov. 

“They didn't know I wasn't human!” she called back. “They said ‘your species should be killed.’ They referred to us in the singular! That probably meant they're not as advanced as they were implying.” She turned back to Kirk. “That's a pretty big gamble on word choice!”

“Space is a gamble! Exploring is a gamble!” he shouted back.

Diana exchanged a look with Sulu. She just shook her head. 

As they walked over the hill, they saw a smaller alien, apparently stuck in a snow bank. It's blue fur was covered in snow, making it appear to have been there for hours. 

“Is zit stuck?” asked Checkov. 

Sulu walked up to it. “Looks like it! It's barely moving!”

They all looked at each other and without having to say anything, went to help the smaller creature. 

“On three, let's try and push it!” Kirk yelled down to the rest of them. “One...two...three!”

Diana had thought to point out that she could just do it, but she thought it was incredibly kind that they all had the reaction to help. They had shot first, but they also wanted to offer a hand. It was a particularly human paradox. 

As soon as they touched it though, a strange hissing noise came from it. Almost like the sound of hydraulics. The alien opened up to reveal that the blue fur was indeed not the alien but rather an outer inside was a tiny purple humanoid child who had four eyes, to large ones where humans had theirs, and two smaller ones off to the corners of the face. 

“I fell over,” it said in a voice so quiet they could barely hear it. “Please don't hurt me.”

“We don’t want to hurt you,” Uhura said getting as close to him as she could so she didn't have to shout over the wind. “Can we take you home?”

“My parents say that the others are dangerous.” It blinked rapidly. 

“We’re safe, promise,” said Kirk, bending down as well. 

It nodded, and Uhura reached out, offering to pick it up. They all started walking back to the city. 

“Ouch!” cried Checkov when they had gotten closer. He had tripped over something hurried in the snow. All of a sudden, the miles and miles of buildings flickered and then disappeared.

“Was all that a…” Sulu began.

“A hologram!” Checkov called, brushing off what he had tripped on. It was some sort of mechanical device that he could now see was hooked up to several posts that had been projecting the image. 

The four huge aliens from before, well they assumed they were from before, came moving toward them. They held very still for nearly a minute. 

“We found this child out in the snow!” explained Uhura. “We’re leaving, we just wanted to bring him back!”

They still did not move for a while.

Finally, the same hissing noise they had heard come from the child's shell came from the others, and out came one from each. They looked much like the child did, and were not much larger than it either. The tallest would have come to Diana’s waist. 

“Please, we’re sorry for before. Give him back and go!” asked the oldest of the bunch. 

“Ok!” Kirk nodded at Uhura, who put the child down. “We’ll go. But we promise we’re not dangerous. If you’re ok with it, we could talk!”

The oldest one looked at the one next to it and then turned back to them. “Yes, we will speak with you!”

They found one of the buildings that was not a hologram, and followed the small aliens inside. This one was much cozier, with places to sit and a warm green fire. They sat and talked for an hour or so, listening to their story. They were a vulnerable race that had been frequently attacked over the years by neighboring invaders from other planets. They were few in number and clearly small in size, but their home world held many resources under the snow that others wanted. They had adapted their menacing shells and holograms three generations back in an attempt to scare off invaders. They had panicked when they thought that the group might discover their secret, or even worse, tell others. They apologized again for this. Kirk to,d them about the Federation and how they could provide protection. He also told them that it could be a wonderful opportunity for trade and learning. He left them with information on how to contact them, if they wanted. 

 

Goodbyes were exchanged and they left in peace. 

 

Back up on the ship the group materialized in the transporter room. The comparatively warm air of the ship felt wonderful. Each of them proceeded to shake out their hair and unzip their parkas as they climbed off the pad. 

“You know, you bluffing plan?” Diana said to Kirk as they walked their things back to the equipment room, “It never would have worked on me.”

“Why?”

“People can't lie to me.”

“Wait what? People have to tell you the truth?”

“Well…” Diana paused. “My lasso compels people to tell the truth I'd they are bound by it.”

“Ok, well people can still lie to you then,” Kirk pointed out. 

“But I've gotten very good at figuring out when they aren't. Lasso or not.”

“Really?” he said, stopping to look at her. “Prove it.”

 

“The game is five card draw,” Kirk said as he shuffled a deck of cards. 

Everyone was sitting at a round table after dinner. They had all happily agreed to a game of poker. Well almost all of them. 

“The point of this game is statistical, correct?” asked Spock.

“No, the point is to lie,” smiled Bones. “Finally, something I stand a chance at beating you at.”

“The objectives of this game is not logical,” observed Spock. 

“No, but it can be very fun,” smiled Diana. 

“I am not sure how that is true,” said Spock. 

“You'll do fine,” said Uhura. 

“Just don't be countin any cards!” demanded Scotty.

“I am not supposed to use math in this game?”

“Oh no, your favorite thing,” grinned McCoy. 

“How am I supposed to win?” he asked. 

“Lie more convincingly than anyone else,” said Kirk. “You'll be a natural, I'm sure.”

Diana laughed and then said, “Alright, just deal the cards.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! We're moving into the episode chapters! I've decided to use a few of these to give time to build relationships and see our characters interact a little more. Old TOS episodes were always a little cheesey, but I loved them, so hopefully you will as well. 
> 
> Anyways, I promised to say which episodes I based these off of, and this one is The Corbomite Manauver. Plus a little homage to all the TNG episodes with poker.


	15. NEXT TIME ON MORE TIME...

Ok so this "chapter" will probabally be deleted but I think a lot of people might be under the impression that the story was over at 13, which obviously since I posted 14, it's not. I meant it to be the halfway point. Like... the mid season finale of a tv show. I realize though if this were a tv show you would get a, "Next time on..." so, since you've all been great to come along this far, here's some teasers for coming chapters: 

_The following was meant to be read in a deep announcer voice._

-Will Diana get to go on more adventures with the Enterprise?  
-What will happen when the Enterprise completes its five year mission?  
-Will Jim Kirk just about fall over when he sees Diana in a fancy dress at a formal Federation Event?  
-Will Diana discover her own destiny and why her time in the Enterprise mattered so much?  
-What will happen when the Klingons come to call.  
-And will Diana and Jim ever actually do something???? 

All this and more...coming soon. Tune in next time! 

Plus, enjoy the following dialogue snippet.

“You’re very difficult, you know that, right?” he chuckled.

“Mmm. But you like difficult things,” she whispered.

His face became slightly more serious. “I love difficult things.”


	16. Chapter 16

Jim was talking to Bones about nothing in particular as they made their way to one of the records rooms. 

When they walked in they were surprised to see Dr. Prince sitting at one of the tables reading what looked like old reports. 

“Hi!” he said. He didn't say ‘Dr. Prince’ that often when he addressed her anymore. She had been on the ship for over two months now and it was beginning to feel overly formal. Most of the crew called each other by their last names, a habit even Diana had picked up, who had stopped referring to him by rank a few weeks ago. But calling her ‘Prince’ just felt strange, and Diana? Well that just felt too familiar somehow. After all, she was his superior officer. He realized half of the bridge crew called him Jim just about as often as they called him captain, but that was fine. He _was_ just Jim at the end of the day, where as _she_ was a god. 

So he just avoided saying her name. 

“Hi,” she said back, looking up from her work and smiling. “Sorry, did you need this room?”

“No,” Jim waved his hand, “not immediately or anything.” He turned his head to try and get a better look at what she was doing. “Are you looking for something?”

“I'm comparing your logs from the past four years… you have a very unique tactical style…” she said as she kept reading whichever one was in from of her.

“Well every ship is bound to-” he started.

“No, I mean you specifically,” she interjected looking up at him. 

“Me?” he asked, surprised. 

She nodded. “I've been with you on six different away missions now, plus that run in we had with, for lack of a better descriptor, space pirates.” She looked back down at the paperwork. “I've never seen someone problem solve the way you do.”

When they had decided to say she was staying on the Enterprise to “observe,” Jim thought that had just been an excuse. However she had actually fallen into the job they had made up and she seemed to genuinely take it seriously. And, like his first log had said, she had ended up providing invaluable guidance to everyone on board. 

“What do you mean?” asked Jim, trying to hide any concern in his voice. 

“Well, back on that first ice planet, you said that you never lose at chess,” she started, “which I assumed meant that you tended to think strategically like a chess player. That’s mostly a good, actually, great thing to have in command, but the one downside is once you figure out their thought process they can be predictable.”

“So, I'm making tactically predictable maneuvers…?”

“I’m saying the opposite, actually,” she corrected him. “After watching you, and now going over these old reports, you generally do think strategically like a chess player, but you have these random erratic episodes that make your moves difficult to predict with complete certainty.”

Jim paused for a second. “So you're saying it's a good thing?”

She nodded emphatically. “I'm saying you should be teaching at the academy,” she replied, leaning back in her chair. 

A smile began to creep across his lips as he started to feel very pleased with himself. 

“Oh god, don't give him any more of an ego than he already has,” Bones grumbled. Jim had almost forgotten he was there for a second. 

“I'm sorry,” she laughed. “I didn't mean to give you another problem.” She closed the reports and stood up. “I'll get out of your way. I'm supposed to meet Uhura for lunch anyways to talk about tonal structure in neighboring planets.”

“And you wouldn’t want to miss that!” Jim said in a mock serious tone. 

She rolled her eyes but still was smiling.

“Have fun!” he called after her as she walked out. He turned back to see Bones with his arms crossed and a look of an exasperation on his face. 

“What?” Jim demanded in a defensive tone. 

“Don't,” McCoy said. 

“Don't what, Bones?” he said indignantly. 

“Oh please, I know you,” he said, waving his arm toward the door where she had just walked out of. “This is not some random person you met on a planet!”

“Ceyptin,” Checkov’s voice suddenly came out of the intercom near the table.

“Yes, Mr. Checkov?” he responded, pushing the button next to the intercom. 

“A ship is approaching. Ve need you on ze bridge.”

“I don't know what your talking about, Bones,” he began as he pushed the intercom button responding, “On my way.”

“You know exactly what I'm talking about, Jim.” They started making their way to the bridge. “And I know you, and how you get.”

“Oh and exactly how do I get?” asked Jim annoyed. 

“Why did you ask her to stay in the first place?” Bones pressed. 

“I-” he started, “I thought some time away from Headquarters might be nice for someone who just had to fight their brother to the death. My motives were purely altruistic.”

“Mmm. Maybe, but why is she still here? You told me it would be a few weeks. It's been over two months.” Bones pointed out. 

“What, do you want me to kick her off the ship? I thought you had gotten over this dislike.”

“Look, I like her good and plenty. She's just about the only Federation officer that I don't mind working with, in fact she made me laugh so hard, whiskey came out my nose on our last away mission,” he said. “But I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about you and that little smile you get.”

“Oh please, I smile all time,” Jim shot back. 

“Yeah, but those are different. They're big and annoying and usually mean you're about to go running off somewhere where I have to inoculate you for.”

They were in the turbolift now. “Bridge,” said Jim, and then continued with McCoy. “She just a member of the crew, and it is purely professional, Bones.”

“Yeah, sure,” he said, dropping the matter as they walked onto the bridge. 

“Mr. Checkov, who-” Jim stopped suddenly. Checkov wasn't sitting in his chair. A helmsman named Andrews that he had spoken to maybe five times was sitting there. He looked around. “Mr. Checkov?”

“I’m over here, sir,” Checkov replied. He was standing by Spock’s station. “It's training today.” He gestured around the room and Jim saw four other faces that he didn’t interact with usually. 

“Oh, right. I knew that,” he said, sitting down in his chair with the vague memory of seeing this on his schedule. 

“Maybe you've been too distracted to remember,” said Bones, glancing at him from the side. 

Jim didn't respond to this. 

“It’s fine, Mr. Checkov. Tell me what ship is coming toward us.”

“It looks like it's a Federation wessel,” pointing at some information at the top of the screen. “Small, probabally only five people onboard. We’ve tried contacting it zough, and haven’t had any luck.”

“Tell Uhura that we need her to come back on early,” he said, noticing something in the top corner. He thought it was a flicker of light, but then it was gone. 

Two minutes or so later, Uhura was walking onto the bridge with Dr. Prince. Uhura immediately sat down at her station saying, “I'm going to try some emergency sub frequencies. They may have had damage to their comm system.”

Kirk looked at the coordniates on the screen, and his stomach fell. “Mr. Sulu, where are we?”

Seeming to know what he was asking, he responded, “We’re right on the edge of the Klingon Neutral Zone, sir.”

“I've got a line,” announced Uhura. “No visuals, but we should be able to talk to them.”

“Open it,” ordered Kirk. “This is the Enterprise, Captain James T. Kirk speaking. Is this a Federation vessel?”

“Yes!” called back a voice through the intercom, sounding slightly garbled. “Security confirmation 672145J.”

Kirk looked over at Spock who nodded that this was correct. 

“Who am I speaking with?” he asked. “And what’s happened to your ship so we cannot contact you on normal hailing frequencies?”

“This is Commander Robert Kaleka. My crew and I were stationed at the Federation outpost nearby.”

“You mean the Neutral Zone outpost?” pressed Kirk, the feeling in his stomach continue to drop. 

“Yes! We were attacked by some unknown ship, or force, or something. We couldn't see it but it compleatly destroyed the whole outpost. We were able to escape in this ship, but no one else got out.”

“How many of you are there?” Kirk asked. 

“Four, including myself.”

“Do you have any clue as to the identity of your attacker?” He begged it wouldn't be the answer he expected. 

“We have no visuals, however it did seem to be phaser fire that destroyed us. We were not near any observation deck, but we heard over the comms other yelling about a ship, just for a moment. We cannot confirm this however, as we saw no ship once we got into this vessel.”

“Of course we know who did it!” said one of the trainees named Abernathy. “Come on, this isn't a tough one.”

Kirk looked over at Dr. Prince who gestured for him to come over.

“What?” he said in a hushed tone. 

“We need to talk. Get the senior officers in the conference room.”

Kirk nodded. 

“Commander Kaleka?” he called. 

“Yes Captain?” 

“The Enterprise will escort you to the nearest star base. Stay with the ship.” Kirk commanded. 

“Will do, sir.”

Kirk turned. “Alright, Spock, Uhura, Bones, come with me,” he said starting to walk to the turbo lift. “And Uhura, tell Scotty to get up to conference room 2. Mr. Sulu, you have the comm.”

 

Once everyone was in the room, Kirk looked to Dr. Prince to begin. 

“Alright, what I'm about to tell you has been speculation at Starfleet for a while, but I believe we may be encountering it’s confirmation.” She sighed. “We believe that the Klingons may have worked out how to create a cloaking device for use in space.”

“Wha!” exclaimed Scotty. “That would take an incredible amount of power.”

“Yes, it would. But this could very well be what attached that outpost, and would explain why they couldn't see it,” she answered. 

“But that means they crossed into the Neutral Zone, into Federation Space, and attacked?” said Uhura. “Any one of those constitutes as an act of war.”

“It also means they could still be here,” said Jim, thinking about that flicker he had seen on the screen. 

“If they are, then why would they not have attacked us?” posed Spock. 

“Well,” said Scotty, “I could take a guess at that. If they really did create this, it's got to be new technology and I doubt it's been perfected. Making a cloaking device in space would take massive energy, like I said, and they may not be able to fire while cloaked.”

“That would explain why Commander Kaleka said he heard others saying they observed a shp,” replied Spock.

Kirk rubbed his chin, thinking. “Then maybe we shouldn't be going to the nearest Starbase. We could be leading them right to it.”

Kirk looked at Dr. Prince, who shook her head. “I certanally wouldn't do it until I knew for sure they weren't there.”

“Alright, let's go back. We need to tell the other ship and inform the crew. Uhura, message Starfleet command and see how they want us to proceed.” 

“What are you going to do, Jim? This is getting us awful close to an intergalactic war.”

“We’re not going to war, Bones,” said Kirk. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

 

Back on the bridge Kirk sat down in the captains chair, turning to Uhura. “Lieutenant, make sure the other ship hears this.”

She nodded, flipping a few switches. 

“Enterprise, this is your Captain speaking. A Federation outpost along the edge of the Klingon Nutral Zone was recently attacked by what we now believe to be a Klingon Bird of Prey that is equipt with a new technology that is allowing it to cloak itself. We also believe that this ship is likely still here. Until we determine a way to discover it's whereabouts, we will be flying no where other than along the edge of the Klingon broader, as not to lead it to anywhere we would not want it to go. We however at no point will be crossing into the Klingon Neutral Zone. That is an act of war, and will be avoided at all costs. Kirk out.”

“But sir,” yelled Abernathy, “they crossed the border, and attacked! Shouldn't we be attacking them?”

“No. No we should not. Strap in everyone.” Kirk said in a seirious tone. “You're in for a hell of a day of training.”

 

Aboard the other ship an angry Klingon by the name of Puthen sat atop his captains chair, yelling at one of his crew members. 

“What are they doing!” hissed the Captain. “We’ve been following them for three hours now and all we’ve seen is the boarder of the Neutral Zone!”

“Sir, perhaps there is another outpost we will be coming to soon,” the crewman replied. 

“Or perhaps they know that we're here!” He yelled back. “We were only here to test the power of our new cloaking device, but you insisted we let that little ship live! We can follow where it goes, you said!” His eyes narrowed. “Ha! Well all it has gone is absolutely nowhere since that starship arrived.”

“But perhaps-”

“Perhaps you are not cut out for your postition!” Puthen cried. He reached for his phaser, and shot the crewman point blank. He disintegrated before everyone's eyes. 

Another man quickly took his spot. 

“Sir,” the new one said, “should we return to the Empire?”

“No!” replied Puthen. “I came here for war, and I will get what what I came for.”

“But sir, the other ship seems to be leading us no where, nor has it fired on us. We cannot force it to commit an act of war.”

“Watch me,” Puthen sneered. 

 

 

“Sir, this is ridiculous.” Abernathy the trainee was still complaining. “We should be figuring out a way to see if they’re around, and how we can shoot them!”

“Son,” snapped Bones, “you don't just charge into an intergalactic war.”

Kirk had been silent for over an hour, thinking. There was still no word from Starfleet, which wasn't surprising. It usually took almost half a day to get a message to them this far out. 

This was the part of his job that he always felt slightly unprepared for. When he looked at the faces on his bridge, knowing his decisions affected wether they lived or died, there was part of him that felt like he wanted to be back on earth, alone on the water, with no one to lead. But he kept that to himself.

Jim had offered to beam the other crew aboard, however they had declined as they had sensitive technology from the Outpost that they didn't want to leave behind and could not be transported. 

“Ceyptin!” Checkov shouted, pointing at the screen. “Look!”

A Klingon Bird of Prey had suddenly appeared and it had begun to fire at the other ship. They maneuvered as quickly as they could, but did not have anything to fire back. 

“Uhura sound the alarm,” Kirk yelled, standing up. “Shields up, Battle stations, now!”

The bridge became bathed in a blinking red light while an alarm blaired and the computer said, “RED ALERT.”

“Checkov, fire a warning shot across the bow,” he commanded, “Uhura try hailing them!”

The Enterprise shot at the Bird of Prey, but it flew to the side, continuing to fire at the other ship, while still getting in a few shots a the Enterprise. The blasts were powerful and the lights on the bridge flickered.

“Engineering to bridge,” Scotty called up. “They hit the power cells!”

“How bad is it?” asked Kirk. 

“We can still fly, but I'm gunna have to divert power from other places.”

“Do it!” he said back. 

The Jim watched for a second, wondering how on earth the other ship was able to dodge most of the shots, but then he looked up at their coordinates. In a split second he realized the other ship wasn't dodging, becaue the Bird of Prey didn't actually want to hit it, it wanted to chase them away. Away into the Neutral Zone. 

“Uhura! Stop trying to hail the Klingons and get me the other ship!” Kirk ordered. 

“Yes sir! Opening now,” she called back. 

“Sulu, try and cut them off!” Jim commanded. “Put our ship between them!”

“Yes, sir!”

He turned to look at Dr. Prince, who hadn’t said much, and she looked back at him. She gave him a brief nod as if to say, yes.

Sulu maneuvered the ship as quickly as he could, even though the Enterprise was massive compared to the other two. Sulu truly was a remarkable pilot. He got it into place, but not before the Bird of Prey suddenly disappeared again. 

The bridge was suddenly silent. 

“Uhura have they responded yet?” demanded Kirk.

“They're coming in now,” she announced. 

“Captain Kirk?” the voice of Commander Kaleka came through. 

“Are you alright?” asked Kirk, eyes glued to the ship on his screen. 

“For now, yes. But I don't think we will be for long. We’ve taken some heavy damages, and I don't think we can move. Captain Kirk, I'm sorry, but they seem to have chased us into the Neutral Zone.”

His words hung in the air, thickening everything and making Jim feel like his body had turned to lead. 

“What now?” asked Abernathy. 

Kirk sat down. “We wait.”

 

“Why haven't they moved!” screamed Puthen. “Their ship has been damaged, why are they not going to rescue it?”

“Maybe they intend to leave it?” said a crewman.

“Then why haven't they flown away?” he bellowed. “We can't have damaged them that much.” He leaned back in his chair. “Besides, they are weak. They cannot leave behind one of their own.”

Puthen eyed the Enterprise. The second that ship crossed, he would fire, and then would begin the war his mentor so eagerly hoped for. 

“We wait,” he said. 

 

“Scotty, do we have enough power to beam them out?” asked Kirk into the intercom. 

“Not if you want any left for the phasers or engines sir. We could grab them but then we’d be a sitting duck.” Scotty replied. 

“Why don't we just go get them?” asked Andrews. 

“Because as soon as we cross into the Neutral Zone they will fire on us,” said Bones.

“So? They're Klingons. I think it's fine if we just shoot them.” said Abernathy. “They’ve already done enough to constitute an act of war!”

“But we haven't,” said Dr. Prince. “If they shoot at us in the Neutral Zone, we will have to defend ourselves and fire back. That is a sure way for this to escalate into something much greater.”

“Spock, you have the comm.”

Jim walked out of the bridge for a second. He needed some air. 

After he had been standing there for a few minutes, her heard the door slide open and footsteps come down the hall. Dr. Prince was looking at him, concern on her face. 

He rubbed his eyes and asked. “What do I do?”

“I don't know,” she answered. 

“What am I doing wrong?” he asked. 

“Look, these are Klingons,” she said, stepping closer to him. “Cunning, and eager to war. I don't have a easy answer.”

He gave her a halfhearted smile. “But you're a military genius.”

“And what exactally do you think you are?” she responded. 

Jim just shook his head at that. 

“There isn't anything that you've done wrong,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “I would have said something.”

“I’m not leaving them behind, and I'm not going to start a war.” He sighed. “Even if I did want to leave them, it wouldn't matter because that would just put us back to square one of having a Bird of Prey following us.”

She paused, squinting at him, as if trying to decide weather or not to say something. 

“Kirk, do you remember I told you I was at the hearing when you were about to get kicked out of the Acadamy?”

“Yes,” he said slowly, unsure where this was going. 

“When I heard your case, the first thing I though was, ‘good for him.’” 

“I thought you said you thought I was too young and rash back then?” He raised his eyebrows. He still rememberd that was why Ambassador Spock had come to his defense. 

“Yes, I did. But that didn't change the fact that I think that test is awful and I was happy to see someone beat it.” Her eyes were seirious. “When you said that you didn't believe in no win scenarios, I was about two seconds from telling them to let you stay. I would have, but…”

“Nero, Vulcan, yeah.” He remembered that day perfectly. 

She leaned in slightly. “You outsmarted that test, and you can outsmart this.”

She folded her arms, looked at him for a second, and then turned back to the bridge. 

Jim closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to clear his head. After about thirty seconds, his eyes popped open, and a grin appeared on his face. 

As he walked back into bridge he said, “Mr. Sulu, start piloting us away from the Neutral Zone.”

“Wait,” asked Andrews, “we’re leaving them?”

“No, we’re not. But we can make them think we are,” Kirk sat back down in the captains chair. 

“Why would we want to do that?” he asked. 

“Because we need them to decloak,” Kirk responded. 

“Why would they do that?”

“Just watch, Andrews.”

They began flying away from the Neutral Zone. “Mr. Sulu, we’re going to need some more of your impressive piloting skills. On three, I need you to turn around and head back to the ship as fast as you can before hitting warp. Wait for my count, and then turn as sharp as you can.”

Sulu turned around, looked at him for a moment and then his face lit up in understanding. “Yes, sir,” he said, turning around. 

The Enterprise began flying through space, getting closer and closer to the Neutral Zone. Jim turned to the trainee and said, “This is why you shouldn't be eager for war.” He watched the coordinates on his screen get closer and closer to where he knew the Neutral Zone began. 

“Come on,” he said under his breath, “come on.”

They were seconds away when Checkov yelled, “Sir! Ze Klingons have appeared!” 

“Now, Mr. Sulu!” Jim commanded. 

With an abrupt u-turn that had everyone clinging to the ship, the Enterprise just missed the border of the Neutral Zone, and began heading back the other direction. They were now facing the Bird of Prey. 

“Take out the engine!” commanded Kirk. “Now!”

The Bird of Prey was too shocked to maneuver away as quickly as it had done last time, and the ships phasers took it out on the first shot. 

It hung in space, motionless. 

“Uhura, open a hailing frequency,” ordered Kirk. 

The other ships Commander appeared on the screen. 

“This is Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise. You have committed an act of war against the Federation and will be brought back to earth for questioning.”

“I think not,” said the Klingon. “Farewell, Captain Kirk. It has been quite the hunt.”

The screen went black and returned to displaying the stars, with the Bird of Prey perfectly still. 

“But-” started Checkov, however he was cut off by Kirk yelling into the intercom. 

“Scotty! Deflect all power to shields, NOW!”

A few seconds later, the Bird of Prey exploded with a massive blast. It rocked the Enterprise, but the shields held. 

After a minute, the explosion cleared, and they could see all the debris from the ship floating by. 

Jim sighed. So much for finding out why they had crossed the neutral zone and suddenly attacked a Federation outpost. 

“Hail Commander Kaleka,” Kirk said to Uhura. “Tell him we’re coming to get him.”

“Sir, I'm sorry, but they don't appear to be there,” Uhura said. 

“What?” he said, turning around. 

“It appears they were taken out in the blast form the Bird of Prey’s self-destruct,” she replied, looking at him with apologetic eyes. 

He turned around, shoulders deflating, and slouched back in the captain’s seat. 

 

Jim sat in one of the large chairs in the corner of the dining hall, not really looking at anything. Loss of life didn't sit well with most, but it especially had a way of nagging at him. Even though he hadn't known the crew of the Federation ship, he still felt...oh he didn't know, guilty? Responsible? Sad? He wasn't sure exactly. It wasn't an overwhelming emotion, and he had a hard time putting a finger on it. 

“Are you ok?” asked a voice. He looked up. It was Dr. Prince.

“Oh yeah,” he shook his head, “I’m fine.”

She raised an eyebrow and sat down. “You know, I meant it, what I said about you and the Kobayashi Maru, and not accepting no win scenarios. But…” she looked at him, kindness across her face, “the idea that you have to deal with death is not an inherently bad one.”

“I've faced death before,” he said, resting the his head on his hand, “and I'll do it again.” He sighed. 

“Yes, I know. I'm just saying letting it eat you isn't good. You might not believe in no win scenarios, but sometimes winning comes at a cost.” She kept looking at him, not breaking eye contact. “Sometimes you can do everything right and someone still doesn't make it.”

He looked at her without saying anything for a minute. She had started wearing Starfleet uniforms about a week ago, although she wore it with no rank and rotated between the blue, red, gold. He wondered if this rotation was with purpose or just because.

“Captain?” Uhura had just approached them.

He turned. “Yes, lieutenant?”

“We got word from Starfleet command, finally. They say that the ship is a rogue captain from the Klingon Empire. The Empire says that they've been having disagreements and his actions are not those of the Empire, however they will still not tolerate it if we break the treaty. Starfleet says avoiding entering the Neutral Zone is the highest priority but they will back up whatever decision you make.”

Jim nodded. “Thank you.”

Uhura put her hand on his shoulder for a second, but didn't say anything, then turned and walked back to the bridge. 

“See Jim,” she said, “I'm not the only one who has faith in your choices.”

Something in his mind registered that this was the first time she had called him by his first name. 

“Thank you, Diana.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to see the episode this was based off, check out Balence of Terror!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going to say at the beginning that this is based on A Piece of the Action, one of the more ridiculous episodes of TOS. It came from that group where they would haphazardly explain why they were suddenly in a different time peiriod with about a thousand plot holes, but no one cared cause you got to see Jim and Spock running around the old west or something. This, like it's original inspiration, has it's fair share of plot holes, though I tried to patch many in. But I have a place in my heart for these, and it worked with where I was going, so,I hope you'll be able to,turn on your suspension of disbelief and enjoy it with all its ridiculousness.

“The Chief Vulcan High priestess has died.”

“Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Are you doing ok?”

Diana was on a video call with T’Aleh in her room. 

“Yes, I am, and I would point out that she was at the appropriate age for a Vulcan woman to expire,” said T’Aleh. 

Diana did her best to hide her amusement at her friend's response. “Yes, but still. My condolences.”

“I have been selected to replace her,” she informed.

“Really!” exclaimed Diana. “That's wonderful.”

“I am fortunate for the honor, yes.”

“Oh, T’Aleh, really I am so happy for you.”

“Thank you. I must say,” she continued, “I am surprised to see you still on the Enterprise. When you first told me of the assignment, I assumed it would be only a few weeks. I believe it has now been eight months.”

Diana shrugged. “A long term observation seemed to be a more effective way to evaluate the ship’s operations.”

T’Aleh raised an eyebrow, but did not press the matter. 

“I must return to the temple,” she said. “They are expecting me. I simply wanted to inform you of the news.”

“Thank you, and we should talk again soon,” Diana said. 

“I would be very agreeable to that,” responded T’Aleh. “Goodbye, Diana.”

Diana turned off the screen and leaned back in her chair. 

She had been on the Enterprise for a while, and was not particularly inclined to leave. She had never been a sad or brooding person, even when she felt exhausted by the world, but being on this ship was bringing out a profound happiness and freedom. It was almost beginning to feel like home. Well, not the ship so much as the people. 

Sulu had ended up asking her about the sword he had heard about and now they faught once a week. His style was in fencing, and Diana’s was more of a battle one, but they still had fun. They would switch what style they fought in every week. He was obviously no match for her, but he could usually hold his own for a while. Diana found his skills with a sword to be nearly as good as his piloting abilities, and she enjoyed teaching him ways to improve. 

Checkov loved that they could speak Russian together. They frequently would go on long rambling conversations where he would tell her about his home and family. She would tell him stories of sneaking through Siberia trying to catch a terrifying creature that one of Bruce Wayne’s many nemesis had let loose. He was young and bright eyed, and had a habit of following Jim around. Jim seemd particularly fond of him as well, and she always smiled when she saw Checkov chasing after him. 

Scotty was a ridiculous man who could say a sentence full of engineering maubo jumbo gaurenteed to confuse anyone. She would occasionally go down to his deck and watch him work, asking questions. A few months ago, after she had learned more about the way the ship worked, she had figured out that he always underestimated the capisity by about 25%. She suspected he did this on purpose to maintain his reputation as a miracle worker when he could always eek out a little more. 

She and Spock got along as well as anyone, which of course did not surprise her, given her propensity toward Vulcans. Though she was obviously not a Vulcan, her knowledge of the culture lended him toward being able to discuss things with her others may not have had as clear of an understanding on. They sipped tea and talked about the teachings of Sarak. 

Any animosity that Bones had held toward her had long since faded, and while it might be difficult to get the doctor to admit it, she wa pretty sure that she was just about his favorite person, besides Jim of course. He managed to usually end up with her on away missions, and it became a personal challenge of hers to get him to smile once a day. So far she had only failed once. 

Diana and Uhura had fallen into a friendship faster than just about anyone she had ever known. She reminded Diana of the women back on Themyscria, and part of her wished she had a way to bring her there. They bonded over their love of language and the fact that they were often the only two women in senior staff meetings. She was probably closer to Uhura than anyone. Well, just about. 

There was of course, Jim. The two of them spent an unnessicarly large amount of time together. He was with her even more than Bones was when they beamed down to a planet. They had fallen into a comfortable rhythm, an ebb and flow. Jim was funny and could actually keep up with her. Their senses of humor were incredibly similar and she found that they were frequently smiling. Jim was a grinner, and his excitement for exploration was intoxicating, but it was not the wide smiles that tugged at her heart, but rather the small ones that came when he looked at her. 

She was not naïve or oblivious to what was happening. She never had been when it came to these things. But she was slow to relationships in general. With Jim specifically, she backed away from anything actually happening because every now and then she would look over and for a split second see Steve. She had almost called him that a few months ago. 

She liked him. A lot, if she was being honest, but it was because of that she wanted nothing more. He deserved someone who didn't see anyone else when they looked at him she told herself. 

As her thoughts fell to this, her door slid open and in walked the man himself. 

“Hi,” said Jim, dropping his pad on her desk. He was grinning, as he did, from ear to ear.

“Yes?” she said, smiling in return. 

“We’ve got a contamination assessment assignment.” He looked like he was going to burst with excitement. 

“A what?” she laughed. 

“Contamination assessment assignment. Contamination, you know, when someone violates the Prime Directive and influences a planet’s-”

“Progress,” she said, finishing his sentence. “Yes, so I take it this happened somewhere and we’re supposed to evaluate what happened.”

“Yep!” His smile hadn't faded. 

“And why exactly are you so excited for this?”

“Diana, these are the absolute weirdest planets,” he explained. “You never know what you'll get. We've run into,” he held up his hand, sticking out fingers as he named things off, “French Aristocrats, other Greek people, Shakespeare tragedies, Nazis, and the entire Cold War conflict, except with people in furs and skins instead of submarines.” He raised his eyebrows. “And that's not even all of it.”

Diana laughed. “That’s ridiculous.”

“I know! I love it. Now come on, let's go.”

“So what’s on this planet?” she asked as they started walking down the hall. 

“Who knows!” he responded. “We got a message from the ship Horizon that they had made contact, but the message was over 100 years old. For some reason, Horizon only had traditional radio waves. All we know is they were there. Starfleet command says they have no other records on the Ionian’s, so we have to go check it out since contact was made before the Prime Directive was established.”

“Any guess what we’ll find?” she asked as they got into the turbolift.

“I'm hoping for an Old English battlefield with knights and kings,” he said as the doors closed, a small smile on his face as he looked at her. 

 

Bones, Spock, Jim, and Diana appeared in the middle of a busy intersection. A car horn blared at them to move, which they all quickly did.

“Sorry, Jim,” Diana said. “Not exactly a battlefield.”

The four of them looked around from their spot on the sidewalk. The plan was to assess the situation, and then call down more of them if backup was needed. 

“Captain, it would appear, based on the make and models of the automobiles and clothes that we are in the early 20th century,” observed Spock. 

Diana looked in the shop window next to them. It was a clothing store and a flapper dress hung in the window. “I'd say 1920’s, based on that dress.” She started laughing. “I think I had one just like that!”

Jim smiled at her. “I told you it was ridiculous.”

She kept looking around. The buildings were brick and clothes lines hung out the windows. They looked like they could be in somewhere like Manhattan. There was a boy on the sidewalk yelling, “Extra, extra! Read all about it!” The people walking by had almost aggressively 1920’s fashion. All pinstripe suits and flapper dresses. 

She kept laughing. 

“Alright, alright. Aren't we supposed to be meeting someone?” asked Bones. 

“Yes,” said Jim, still watching her. “We made contact with him up on the ship. He says his name’s Okmyx and he’s in charge of-”

“And who exactly are yous guys?” Two men wielding Tommy guns walked up to the group. 

They turned toward them, and the two men lowered their guns slightly when they saw Diana. “Woza! What a broad!” exclaimed the one on the left. Any laughter she had on her face had now been replaced by an annoyed look.

They put their guns back up after a second though, saying, “Answer the question! Who are yous? No one but Okmyx’s people are supposed to be around this neck of the woods.”

“We’re here to meet Okmyx. We just talked to him,” said Jim. 

“Ohhh… are you the Horizion people?”

Before anyone could answer that, car wheels screeched and around a corner came an old Cadillac with three men hanging out the window with guns of their own. They opened fire in their general direction, and the four of them quickly ducked and hid. 

The men who had approached them returned the fire with their own guns, and the pedestrians began screaming and running out of the way. 

“What the hell is this?” yelled Bones from behind a trash can.

“A drive by!” called back Diana from the car next him. She peered over the hood looking for something she could use as a shield to run into the street with, but the other car had left before she could find anything. 

“We’ll get you back, ya hear!” One of the men called after. 

The other one did not move. Diana and the others peered up from their hiding spots. The second man appeared to be dead. 

“Come on,” said the other. “Get up. I'm takin you to Okmyx.” He brandished his gun at them. 

“Ok, ok you can put that down,” grumbled Bones, looking back at the dead man. “Are you just gunna leave him?”

“Never you mind about him. You’ve got some splainin to do to my boss.” He continued pointing his gun at them. “Let's go!”

They turned and began walking down the street with the gun at their backs. 

“Yeah, Jim,” mumbled Diana. “This is a riot.”

 

They were escorted into a room with lavish trappings befitting of Jay Gatsby. It had been about a twenty minute walk and along the way they had seen more of what looked to Diana like someone had made a caricature of 1920’s America. She specifically now guessed it was supposed to be Chicago, after hearing different people talking. 

The mob seemed to have quite the grip on the area because after the shooting, no one seemed overly shocked. Plus their captor wasn't subtle about brandishing his Tommy gun, and no one batted an eye as they walked down the street. 

Diana of course realized she could take him out in about half a second, but they were there to figure out the exact nature of the contamination, not punch random citizens, regardless of their violent attitude. They were here to try and repair damage, and taking everyone out didn't seem to be like a good way to build a relationship with these people.

The room in which they now stood had a large ornate wooden desk, and behind it sat a large man with a cigar. A young woman sat on the desk with a gun strapped into her garter, which was visible as she crossed her legs. Several other armed men stood flanked in the corners. They were frisked and they took their communicators and phasers.

“Ehh! What took ya so long!” the large man yelled at their escort. 

“It was Kracko! He put a hit out on us!” the man explained. “He got Johnny!”

“Well…” he drawled, “it’s ok we’ll get him back.”

Diana looked at the others who all seemed to share her concern about the level of aggression on this planet. 

“Are you Okmyx?” asked Jim.

“Yeah, yeah!” he said in his thick Chicago accent. “Yous must be the Feds.”

“We are with the Federation…” said Spock.

“Yeah, you've come back to bring us heaters! Like the Horizion promised all those years ago!” Okmyx grinned. “Now I can finally run this whole joint like I'm supposed to.”

“Heaters…?” asked Jim. 

“He means guns,” said Diana, rolling her eyes.

“Well what do we have here?” said Okmyx, eyeing Diana. “The face of an angel has walked into my home. Doll-”

“Don’t call me doll.” Diana’s voice was a low command and she stared him back down. She may have decided on not taking anyone out, but she still wasn't going to put up with this. 

His hands flew up in defense. “Sorry, sweetheart! Didn't mean to offend!”

Her face stayed flatly annoyed. 

“Um, you want us to give you guns,” said Jim. “Why...why would we do that?”

“You're with the same outfit as the Horizion, yeah? Well they promised us heaters! And I’m gunna take them all, so I can get rid of Krako and the rest!”

“Who are Kracko and the rest?” asked Spock. 

“The other bosses, see?” Okmyx brandished his cigar at them. “They run the other parts of this joint.”

“You mean planet?” asked Jim. 

“Yeah.”

“So you're saying,” Diana sighed, “this entire planet is run by the mob?”

“Apparently,” grumbled McCoy. “Why can't contaminated planets ever be Bhuddaist Monks?”

“Captain,” said Spock, pointing to a massive leather bound book in the corner, displayed on a pedestal. “Perhaps that is the source of the contamination.”

“Contamination! Now don't be disrespectful! That's The Book you're talking about!” cried Okmyk. 

The Book, as it were, had the words Chicago Mobs of the Twenties printed in gold lettering on it. 

“Mr. Okmyk,” asked Spock, “did you receive this from the Horizion?”

“Of course! And it's been passed down, father to son!”

Diana rubbed her eyes. How on earth one book was supposed to have molded an entire planet into a bad mob movie was beyond her. But here they stood, staring at a Mob Boss compleat with spats. 

“The Book don't matter right now, though. What matters is gettin our heaters!”

“We can't just give you guns,” said Jim, exasperated. 

“Fine then. I see how it is. Renigging on a deal.” He sat back down on his large chair, kicking his feat up. “Well I know how to deal with things like this. Hansen!” he called to one of the men in the corner, “Gimme one of those radio’s. We're gunna call their ship!”

Hansen threw it to him, and Okmyx began pushing buttons until they all heard Uhura’s voice. 

“Captain?” she asked. 

“No! This is Okmyx. We’ve got your people and we’ll be storing them for safe keeping till you deliver the heaters we were promised! If we don't get them in eight hours, we’ll shoot em all!”

Onymx tossed the communicator back to Hansen and the ordered, “Get em outta here.”

The four were escorted out of the room.

 

“This is unbelievable,” Diana whispered. 

“I told you these planets were weird,” Jim whispered back. 

They were sitting in the corner of a back room together, watching two guards play some sort of card game. 

“Did he tell you about the one where they made us act out a scene from the OK Corrale?” asked Bones. “Now that was weird.”

“Ok, so what are we going to do? We can't just shoot all these people,” said Diana. “It’s not their fault, I guess, that their forefathers created this Al Capone dreamland.”

“We usually just play along by the rules of the planet until we can figure out a way to talk some sense into the key players,” said Jim. “Try not to make to many waves.”

“Captain, regaining communication with the Enterprise should be our first priority,” pointed out Spock. 

“They know we’re captured, and after they looked up some slang, should know that they want guns,” Jim said. “But I doubt they’ll send someone right away. Probably let us try and handle it first.”

“Even when they do, they won't know where we are,” Diana pointed out. “The other guards took all our things.”

“Yes, but I believe I heard them saying they were taking them to a speak easy,” informed Spock. “Although if this whole planet is run by the mob I'm not sure why prohibition would be in place.”

“Damn it Spock, when are these places ever logical?” snapped Bones. 

“Alright, let's try and get out of here,” said Jim. “Spock, did you catch the bar’s name?”

“The Blue Lagoon, captain,” he stated. 

Jim let out a a sigh. “Ok now we just need to distract them.”

Diana rolled her eyes. “I won't be too, rough.” She stood up and walked over to the men. 

“Wait Diana! I thought-” Jim started, but it was too late. They had already begun to smile idiocally at her as she approached, and with one quick movement she slammed their heads together, knocking them out. 

“-we weren't gunna punch people.” He winced, looking at the two men. 

“Two won't hurt,” pointed out Diana. “And we needed to leave. Did you see a better option?”

“No, not really,” he said standing up with Bones and Spock. Jim shrugged. “Alright, let's go find the Blue Lagoon.”

 

A few hours later, after stealing some clothes to blend in off a clothes hanger plus several wrong turns and bad directions, they found themselves walking into the bar. It was exactly what Diana expected. Tables filled with women in sparkling dresses and men in suits. Smoke hung over the whole place and glasses tinkled everywhere. A lounge singer with terrible pitch sang on a stage by a large piano being played by a man with a mustache. 

Two armed guards stood by a door, which Diana assumed lead to where Okmyx kept his contraband. 

“I bet our comm’s are in there,” said Bones. He was wearing a green suit and a grey fedora. 

“That would be the logical assumption,” said Spock, who had donned a deep red pinstripe. 

“Spock,” said Jim, “go see if there's people guarding the back. Bones, you go with him.”

Spock nodded, Bones grumbled, but they both left.

Diana looked at Jim. He was wearing a blue suit, and his tie was slightly crooked. 

“Here,” she said, reaching over to fix it. 

“Oh… thanks,” he said, watching her hand flatten it out on his chest. She pulled it back. 

“You know there's going to be guards back there,” she said, looking at him. “if there is even a back entrance.” 

“I mean, we gotta check before we just go punch two more guys,” he said, waving a hand at the two men. 

“Who says we're gunna punch them,” she said, her eyes drifting to a man behind the who looked like he was the manager. There was a pained expression on his face as he listened to the lounge singer. 

“Well what do you suggest as a distraction?” he asked, looking around for a better option. 

“Give me ten minutes,” she smiled, walking to the bar. 

Diana was in a relatively conservative dress, so she hoped what she was about to do would work. She leaned over the bar and tapped the manager on the shoulder. 

“Hey,” she said in her most sultry voice, “you run this place?”

“I do indeed, beautiful,” his attention suddenly on Diana and not the lounge singer. “How can I help you?”

“Well I'm in need of a job, and it sounds like you’re in need of a new singer,” she said, glancing over her shoulder. “Maybe we can help each other out.”

“You can sing?” he asked, his face lighting up.

“I can indeed, daddy-o.” _Daddy-o?_ she thought, trying not to laugh at herself. But her act seemed to work, or perhaps he was just desperate, because right as the woman hit a particularly bad note, he asked,

“How soon can you start?”

“Right now, if you got a dress for me back there,” she said, hoping the answer was yes.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said pointing to a door that was not flanked by men with machine guns. “There's a whole trunk full. I'm kicking her off as soon as she's done with this, and if you can even do a little better, you got yourself a gig.”

“Thanks, sugar,” she said, throwing a wink at him. 

Diana walked over to the dressing room. Jim looked at her with a confused look and she mouthed, “get ready.”

Inside the room was indeed a trunk full of clothes. She rummaged through as quickly as she could until she found something she thought could do the trick. It was long and red, and very sparkly. The front was also cut low enough to her satisfaction. She threw it on and hurriedly tossed her hair into a nicer looking updo with the pins on the table by her. 

As soon as she was ready, she walked out, just in time to see the manager kicking the other woman off the stage. Speaking into the microphone he announced, “Ladies and gents, and especially gents, do we have a treat for you tonight. We’ve got a new act, an I think you’re gunna like what you hear.” He looked over to see Diana ready to come on stage. “Please put your hands together for,” he paused looking at her for a second. She mouthed her name to him. “Diana!”

The whole room clapped as she walked on stage, and as soon as the light hit her face, she could hear several cat calls from the men. She saw Bones and Spock walk back in, eyes wide at the developments. Bones walked over to Jim with an angry look and began talking while waving at the stage. Jim looked presently amused by the situation, as he explained what was going on. Spock just had one eyebrow hanging out by his hairline. 

“Can you follow along?” she asked the man at the piano. 

“Baby these fingers can go where ever you lead and more,” he promised. The best song she could think of right now wasn't written in the twenties, and even if she did pick a song from then, she had no way of knowing if this planet had music from earth. 

She took a deep breath. 

_Birds flying high_  
You know how I feel...  
Sun in the sky  
You know how I feel…  
Reeds driftin on by  
Oh, you know how I feel 

__

It's a new dawn  
It's a new day  
It’s a new life for me…

_And I'm feeling... good_

Diana’s voice was like silk. It was deep and low and absolutely perfect. The entire bar was looking at her, utterly mesmorized. This included the two guards. She looked to the side to see they had wandered away from the door to get a good look at her. 

She glanced back to Jim and the other two, but they haden’t moved. They too were standing there with looks of shock on their faces. She gave them a look like go now, you idiots. Jim appeared to snap out of it, and pushed the other two toward the room as she moved into another verse. 

_Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean don't you know  
Butterflies all having fun, you know what I mean…_

She kept going, watching the guards out of the corner of her eye to make sure they didn't turn back. The three men snuck behind them and into whatever they were guarding. 

Diana was impressed with the pianist. He really did keep up well, and since he didn't actually know the song, the little flairs he added felt new and original. 

_Stars when you shine_  
You know how I feel…  
Scent of the pine  
You know how I feel…  
Oh freedom is mine!  
And I know how I feel

The men crept back out from the room, and Jim waved one of the comms at her. She nodded, and decided, just for fun, to really belt out the last bit. 

_It's a new dawn_  
It's a new day  
It's a new life  
It's a new life  
For me

__

__

_And I'm feeling... good_

She got a standing ovation when she finished, and bowed to the crowd.

“I'm gunna grab some water,” she said to the pianist. She walked off stage, but instead just ran over to the other three. 

“So I didn't know you could sing,” said Jim, grinning at this new information as they rushed out the door. 

“Jim, I'm almost two thousand years old,” she said, eyebrows raised. “Honestly, what random skills don't I have would be a shorter list.”

“Remind me to have you teach me under water basket weaving some day then,” said Bones. 

Jim snorted at this as he flipped open the comm. “Enterprise, come in Enterprise.”

“Uhura here. Captain, what the hell is going on?”

“Weird planet, Uhura. Weird planet. But I want you to stay on the line. I'm going to have you beam us back up in a just a bit, with a few other people. Go get Scotty, please.” Jim asked, into the comm. 

“Will do, sir.” 

“Alright, let's get back to Okmyx. I have a plan.”

 

“Hey! I've been lookin all over for yous guys.” Okmyx looked confused that they had just waltzed back into his office. “Though I was gunna have to put a hit out on ya.”

“No need for that,” said Jim “I've come to make a deal. You tell me where all the other bosses are, and I'll give you all the supplies you need.”

“Well,” he said leaning back in his chair, “I knew you could be reasonable. Sure, of course. I can do that deal.”

“We need specifics though. Where they’ll be exactly,” Jim pressed. 

“Eh, no problem. They're all fat cats that never leave their office anyways.” He pulled out a piece of paper and began scribbling on it with a fountain pen. 

“Sure this will work, Jim?” whispered Bones.

“Don't you think it will?” he whispered back. 

Bones looked at Diana and then back to Jim with a shrug and then a nod. 

Okmyx handed over the paper and then said, “Alright when do I get my heaters?”

“Now, Scotty,” Jim said into his comm.

“My name ain't Scotty, it's-” but the transporter rays cut Okmyx off. A few seconds later they were back on board the Enterprise. Uhura and Scotty were waiting for them by the control panel. 

“Woah! Where are we!” Okmyx exclaimed. 

“Spock, escort him to conference room one, please,” asked Jim as they climbed off the pad. 

“Someone had fun today,” Uhura said, laughing at their clothes.

“Yeah, we probably should change. Mr. Scott, beam the men at these locations up here and put them in the conference room with Okmyx,” ordered Jim. 

“Yes, sir.” 

“My clothes are in medbay,” said Bones.

“I don't know, I think you look rather dashing in that hat!” Diana called after him. She saw his shoulders shake a little, and decided that he probably laughed at that, and she could count it for her one today. 

She and Jim started walking back to the crew quarters. 

“So you think this is a good plan?” asked Jim.

Diana noddd. “It's the Occam's Razor of plans. I like it.” She smiled over at him and he returned it with that small one of his. 

 

A few minutes later she, clothed once again in her Starfleet uniform, walked into the conference room of mob bosses. They were all yelling and shouting at each other. 

“Gentlemen, gentlemen. Please. Sit down and show a little decorum,” she chastised them. “Now it's time that we all have a discussion on how things are run on Iotia.”

 

Jim and Spock stood outside the door, listening to what was happening inside. Jim smiled as he crossed his arms and looked at the floor. 

“I am surprised that you chose this simple of a plan of action. Simply put them all in the same room and talk,” Spock frowned, but then raised his eyebrows. “An efficient option, I suppose.”

“Not just put them in a room Spock,” Jim elaborated, “put them in a room with Diana.”

Spock tilted his head to the side. 

“She’s the senior most diplomat at Starfleet. It felt like a waste of resources not to use her expertise,” said Jim. 

“True,” responded Spock. 

“When we were in that bar, I realized when I was watching her, everyone pays attention to Diana when she needs them to,” he said, looking at the door. 

Spock thought that sometimes certain people payed attention to her even when she didn't need it per say, but he decided not to say this. 

 

Later that night, as Diana drifted off to sleep from a long several hours of negotiating, she realized that she had been running around all day in a time that looked not unlike the world Steve had brought her into, and Jim had been wearing clothes not dissimilar to his, but not once that day had she thought of Steve Trevor when she looked at Jim Kirk.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! As you may have noticed, I've been flying through these updates, but that has left my editing a little lacking. Besides, editing your own work is never the best plan. I wanted to apologize for the typos, as I know they can be very distracting. I've found an editor moving forward, so hopefully that will be an improvement on everyone's experience. Thanks for your patience, and enjoy the update!

_Captain’s log. Stardate 2266.58: Our time on the Enterprise is coming to a close. We have reached the end of our five year mission, and after one final stop, will be returning to Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco. It has been a remarkable five years and I admit, while the promise of seeing earth again is an enticing one, I cannot help feel I am leaving my home, and not returning to it._

__

__

_The last year of our mission was marked by the presence of Dr. Diana Prince, who we were lucky enough to host to our profound benefit. Her extended stay and observational reports should prove to be a significant addition to the Starfleet Historical Record._

__

__

_Our last assignment is to deliver supplies to civilians on a planet currently at war. After much deliberation and negotiation, the Federation has decided not to take take sides, however has been able to set up drop zones where we can beam down supplies and distribute them to those hurt most by the fighting. This is the most we can do as neither side will allow for an evacuation._

__

__

Jim stared at his computer and sighed. How many more of these would he make? Two, three at most?

A low whistle came from his door. 

“Come in,” he called. 

It was Spock. He smiled, if not a little half heartedly. 

“Spock, what can I do for you?” Jim asked. 

“I have come to offer thanks.” Spock began, his hands behind his back. “It has been my honor to have been your First Officer and I feel profoundly privileged to have served by your side for the past five years.”

“Oh, Spock,” he said. “No, I was the lucky one for getting you to put up with me. I don't know what I would have done without you.”

“When you receive your next assignment from Starfleet, if you have a need for a First Officer-”

Jim cut him off. “I wouldn’t even think of anyone else.”

Spock nodded, sitting down.

“How are you, Jim?” he asked. 

“What an un-Vulcan-like question,” Jim said, resting his hand on his fist.

“Consider it an inquiry from my human half then.”

Jim sighed. “I'm fine, I'm fine,” he assured Spock looking around the room. “Perhaps a little melancholy, but I'll be alright.”

“It is natural for humans to experience a sense of sadness at the crux of a life change.”

He nodded at this but didn't say anything. 

“May I make a personal inquiry?” asked Spock. 

“Of course, always,” Jim replied. 

“Have you decided what you are going to do about Dr. Prince?”

“Diana?” He waved his hand, about to say _I’m not sure what you mean_ , but then he looked at Spock and just gave an honest answer. “There's nothing to be done.”

“Jim…” Spock began. “You have formed a considerable attachment to her, and if I am not mistaken she is rather fond of you as well.”

“We’re friends, that's all.”

“Forgive me, but that is not all. I cannot speak for her, but after many years together I feel confident in saying you have not thought of her as simply a friend for most of the time she has been on board,” Spock said. 

“Spock, this isn't like you and Uhura, we’re too…” he trailed off, unsure how to finish that sentence. “Besides, it's been a year and really, she's made no indication that anything like that is something she wants.”

“I would respectfully disagree. I have developed a significant friendship with her and so have other crew members. It is my observation, however, that her interactions with you are…” Spock paused, “...different.”

“So you're not with Bones on this one?” asked Jim, beginning to imitate the doctor’s voice. “Just stay away, Jim. Don't do it?”

“Jim, after all these years I would have thought you would have learned that Dr. McCoy and I rarely agree on any matter,” He stood back up. “And this time is no exception.”

Jim thought he was done, but it turned out he wasn't. 

“In addition, speaking of Nyota and I, we have decided that upon our return to earth we are to be married.”

“WHAT!?” Jim shot out of his chair, a real smile now splashed across his face. “Really? Spock, I just…” 

He realized that Vulcans are not the type to give hugs, but he didn't particularly care in that moment. Jim maneuvered quickly around his desk and embraced his friend while saying, “I'm so happy for you!”

Spock, perhaps prepared for this type of reaction, didn’t tense up but rather lightly tapped Jim with his palm on the back. 

“Thank you, Jim,” Spock said as he let go. “We are pleased as well.”

“This is fantastic. Ahh! Have you told anyone else? Do you know when you’re doing it?” Jim stopped himself from asking about four more questions in rapid fire. 

“We will likely have the ceremony sooner rather than later.”

“Good plan. You’ve been together a million years, why not?”

“And,” he added, “we have told no one else as I wished to inform you first.”

“Spock…” Jim said, clearly touched by this. He almost hugged him again, but stopped himself. “Come on, I think everyone is having lunch together. You should tell the rest.”

 

“Married!” yelled Scotty. “Well it's about bloody time!”

Everyone had indeed gathered for lunch in one of the conference rooms, something they were technically not supposed to do since at least one of them should have had the conn, but with just days left, they all had forgone this rule several times, though never for very long. 

“You sound like my mother, Scotty,” said Uhura rolling her eyes. She still looked quite happy though, especially as she looked back at Spock, who had just announced it to the room. Most of them were all looking at Spock or Uhura, but Jim was looking at Diana and trying not to think about what Spock had just said to him a few minutes before. 

Everyone had now stood up so they could hug Uhura and have some sort of awkward physical interaction with Spock. Jim shook off his thoughts and smiled. He was pleased that their five year mission was ending on such a high note.

“Um… hello?” came a voice on the intercom. 

Jim looked at the screen, and then pushed the button. “Typically you would say Bridge to whoever you were looking for.”

“Oh… uh, sorry Captain,” stuttered the voice. “Bridge to Captain Kirk.”

He laughed silently, thinking, it's been five years and you haven't got this. “Yes, go ahead.”

“We’ll be arriving at Beta Calden in an hour, sir.”

“Thank you,” he said, and turned to the rest. “Did you leave Brandt in charge?”

They all looked at each other, and then nodded apologetically. 

“I think we should probably get back to work then,” he said.

They all filed out of the conference room, and most of them back to the bridge. Almost everyone was still pestering Spock and Uhura with questions. 

“Who’s gunna be your best man?” asked Sulu. “Do Vulcan weddings even have best men?”

“No, however we will likely be conducting the ceremony closer in line with earth’s traditions,” informed Spock. “As to who I would choose for that role, I believe the answer should be fairly obvious.” 

“Me?” asked Jim when Spock looked over at him. 

“Yes, you Jim,” said Uhura laughing. “Who else?”

“I mean I didn't want to assume!” said Jim. “Maybe he has some long lost brother I don't know about.”

Spock said nothing to this, but Jim didn't seem to notice it as odd. 

“You know,” said Diana, moving to talk to him as they walked, “I remember talking to the professor who recommended Uhura to be Spock’s teaching assistant. She said that she wanted her for the job because they needed someone who wasn't going to try and sleep with him.”

Jim’s face lit up. “Oh, please tell that story at their wedding.

“What story?” asked Uhura, overhearing their conversation. 

“Don't worry about it,” Diana assured Uhura, then exchanging a small smile with Jim as Uhura turned around. 

 

When they got to the planet, they loaded the transporters with crates of supplies. 

“Alright,” said Jim to the group. Twenty people were there, including Diana, Chekov, Uhura, McCoy and Spock. Scotty was there as well, but only to work in the transporter room. Sulu had been left with the conn. “There are only three approved drop points on the planet to help get these civilians supplies. We’re going to beam these crates and then after it's all gone, we’ll be going down as well. You need to be prepared for fire down there. The people in combat on either side may very well try and ambush this supply run. They want this stuff, too. There’s no good guys here, as far as the Federation is concerned, just those fighting and those trying to survive. We are here to help the latter. Through some back channels, we’ve made contact with some people who aren't fighting, and they’ve told us where some hidden spots are nearby that we can try and get the supplies to by hand. Any questions?”

One hand shot up. “Are we supposed to return fire?”

“Only if absolutely necessary,” said Kirk. “And keep your phasers on stun. Like I said, we’re not here to take sides. Anything else?”

No one said anything. 

“Ok, let's get going!” Kirk said, pointing to Scotty, who started to beam the boxes down. 

Jim went and stood by Diana as they all watched the several loads go down. He looked down and noticed a glint of metal sticking out from under the sleeve of her uniform. 

He nodded at it wordlessly. 

“Oh,” she said, pulling back her sleeve a little. “They're good for taking fire.”

“Mmm,” he hummed. “Got any more?”

“You know, I left all of my other magical greek armor back in storage,” she teased. “What was I thinking?”

He shook his head and put on a mock disappointed tone. “So unprepared, Dr. Prince.”

She smiled at him and his mind went back to his conversation with Spock. _Does she smile like that at anyone else?_

Unfortunately, he didn't have time to mull this over, because the last batch had just been beamed down. Everyone was climbing onto the pad now.

The drop point was just a clear patch in the middle of a large wooded area. As soon as they materialized on the ground, Kirk called out, “Alright, we gotta move quick!” He pointed toward a hill to the left. 

They each started picking up boxes and running in the direction Kirk has pointed. After about half a mile, they ran into a small group of people, covered in dirt and wearing tattered clothes. 

“You’ve brought the supplies!” one of them cried out in joy. “Thank you!”

“We’ve gotta move though,” said another one. “I swear I heard something a second ago.”

Sure enough, right as she said that, a phaser blast shot through the trees. Jim whipped around and saw about 50 people, all armed, charging at them.

“Move!” yelled Kirk, following the the group that they had met, who had all started running. 

They all zigzagged through the trees, running as fast as they could. He turned around every now and again to shoot, but he only stunned a few as his aim wasn't the best when trying to run and carry supplies. 

Diana was subtly deflecting the blasts with her arms. Everyone was too engulfed in what was happening to notice her. Well, Jim noticed.

Suddenly the group they had been following had disappeared. Kirk spun around, trying to see where they went when a voice called, “Psst! Over here!” 

He looked around, and then down. There was a secret hole in the ground by a tree that appeared to lead to a variety of tunnels. Jim checked to see if anyone was looking, and then tossed the box down the hole.

He began sprinting back the other way to get more boxes. As he ran he grabbed Diana by the arm and whispered, “They’re by that oak tree, underground. Be carefulcareful to not let them see where you drop the boxes.” She nodded, and kept going. 

Jim kept running back, stopping when he could to tell someone the message. 

“Damn it, Jim!” yelled McCoy. “I'm a doctor not a sprinter!” He had dropped his box and had just caught up to Jim, as he wasn’t trying to deliver any messages while he ran.

“Oh, come on Bones,” he laughed through his heavy breathing, “I thought you’d be used to this after five years!” He ducked as a phaser blast flew by them. 

They grabbed another set of boxes, which were being guarded by five of the crew, shooting at anyone not with them. Jim and Bones started running back, zigzagging along the way. Everyone else followed suit, making it look like they were just running all over the place, and not to one particular spot. It was also useful in that it made them all much harder targets. 

Occasionally he would see Uhura or one of the others sprint by him and Bones. He kept checking that no one had gotten shot. So far they were fine. Two of the soldiers popped up in front of them, blocking their path and they both shot one in nearly perfect unison. They looked at each other for a half second, pleased with their work, but then another blast flew by, and they started running again.

It kept going like this for a while, there were only a few boxes left. The people that had been guarding them all grabbed one and rushed to try and get out of there as fast as they could.

“Scotty! Start beaming the following people up,” Jim yelled into his communicator, looking around at who was done. “Halbert, Brians, Kapur, Diaz!” 

People started to disappear in a bundle of sparkling light. Jim kept looking and shouting names when Bones said suddenly, “We forgot a box! Jim, it’s the medical supplies!”

Jim turned quickly to see it sitting there, unguarded. He stopped yelling into his comm and began running for it. He ran so fast, he actually slid into the ground next to it when he stopped. He tried to pull himself back up as quickly as he could. 

He tried to pull the box of medical supplies with him, but right as he got it, four guns were on him. He heard the cock of the phasers charge, meaning shots would be coming before he could move.

“JIM!” a voice screamed out.

It was Diana. He had never heard her voice like that, loud and desperate. He turned, and for a second thought her face, covered in panic, would be the last thing he would ever see. But before the shots could be fired, she crossed her arms. 

An earthshaking boom emanated from her, knocking everything backwards, including trees, rocks, and Jim and the men about to shoot him. 

He felt like he was in a daze, or maybe had been hit by a semi truck. He tried to sit up, blinking. His ears were ringing. Several trees had been knocked over, and from what he could tell, everyone was on the ground. Everyone else seemed to be slightly dazed as well, struggling to get up. Everyone but Diana, that was. She had run over to him, checked to make sure he hadn't been shot, and then grabbed the last box. In a few seconds she was back, and through muffled ears he heard, “Scotty, beam us all up, now!”

A moment later they were back on the Enterprise. Most of them were still on the ground, trying now to stand up on the pad. Diana was, of course, standing. Jim looked up and over at her, and she just glared at him and then walked off without saying a word. 

 

“Here,” Diana said, dropping a padd onto his desk. Her face was serious. “It's the last of my reports. Thought you might want to see them before I send it in.” She turned to leave. 

It had been a day since their drop off, and they were now heading back to earth. She had barely spoken two words to him the whole time. 

“Wait! Diana,” he called, standing up and moving over to her. “I'm sorry. I know you're mad because you had to…” he waved at her arms, “but I really don't think anyone other than Bones noticed it was you. I even asked some of the other crew that went down and none of them are sure what it was.”

“I'm not mad about that!” she shot back. “I’m mad that you went out there in the first place!”

“What? Why?” he asked. 

“BECAUSE YOU ALMOST GOT SHOT.” Diana stared him down, and all he could do was blink. He wasn't used to seeing her genuinely mad. 

“They needed those supplies!” he said defensively. “That’s what we were there for!”

“I could have done it,” she said. “You could have come and gotten me.”

“It was a split second decision!” he exclaimed in exasperation. They were closer than he remembered them being a second ago. 

“Well it was a bad one.” Her voice wasn't as loud, but she still seemed just as angry. “It's just stuff, Jim! We can get more! We can replace stuff! You,” she said, waving her hand at him, her fingers barely brushing against him, “can't be.”

“Look, I know it's a pain for Starfleet when a captain dies but-”

“I don't mean Starfleet can't replace you!” Diana looked at him, baffled. “I meant me!”

Jim just stood there. His brain was trying to process what she had said. After a few moments something clicked in his brain and he made another split second decision. 

He kissed her. 

Her lips were soft and perfect and would have been wonderful to just stay kissing forever, but he pulled back after barely two seconds to look at her. Somehow, he still wasn't entirely sure how she would react to what he just did. 

A completely indiscernible look was on her face and they just stood there, staring at each other.

And then her hands were at the nape of his neck, grabbing at his hair and pulling him back. Diana kissed him purposefully, thoroughly. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer into him.

“Bridge to Captain Kirk,” came Sulu’s voice. 

They didn’t stop.

“Bridge to Captain Kirk.” 

It was ignored again.

“Bridge to Captain Kirk,” came the call a third time. This time Jim pulled back to reach reach for the intercom button, however he didn't break eye contact with her. 

“Yes, Mr. Sulu?” Jim replied in the most even tone he could muster. 

“We’ve arrived at earth. If you’ll come to the bridge, we can begin our docking.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sulu,” he said, eyes still on Diana who had the smallest of smiles on her face. “I’ll be right there.”

“Duty calls,” she said, smoothing her uniform. “Shall we?”

“Uh… yep,” he said, eyes wide as he followed her out of his room.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I'm laughing at all the comments asking when Jim is gunna find out about Steve. All I have to say to that is you can check out a [dialogue teaser](http://thewanderinguniverse.tumblr.com/post/162211284960/i-just-binge-read-your-wonderkirk-fic-at-one-in%22) I posted on my tumblr last week.

Diana stood next to Uhura’s chair as the Enterprise moved into its assigned spot at the space dock. She could see Jim out of the corner of her of her eye. He kept looking over at her and she tried to not roll her eyes. 

She also tried not to smile. 

His sudden decision to kiss her was unexpected. Well, unexpected for that moment. She had been mulling over in her mind for several weeks now what exactly she wanted when it came to him. 

In the moments prior, she had gone from angry at his decision in the forest to concerned that he really seemed not to understand why she was upset. All she wanted in that moment was to be clear on what she was feeling. 

Apparently those feelings were news to him. 

But after a year of running across space and laugher and quiet moments and unspoken tension, something had finally happened and it was time to make up her mind. 

 

Jim tried to remember the space docking procedure, but he was drawing a blank. He didn't think he needed to do anything. Sulu did it all, right? Yeah… he didn't need to do anything…

He glanced at Diana again but she was looking straight forward. 

Once the ship was docked, the bridge all turned to him. 

Oh, he thought, I should probably say something.

He pushed the intercom button.

“Crew of the Enterprise, this is your captain speaking to you for the last time. It has been my most profound privilege to serve these past five years as your senior officer. You have conducted yourself with honor and integrity. This ship contains the best and brightest Starfleet has to offer, and I am confident that you all have big futures ahead of you. Each one of you has grown immensely on this journey through space, and I feel honored to have witnessed it. This five year mission has been to discover. To push our own boundaries. To go where no one has gone before. Keep that with you, and remember that it is for those reasons we do what we do. I hope that one day we will cross paths amongst the stars again, but until then, welcome home.”

He lifted his finger, hoping that was a decent enough parting for the people he had lived with for five years. As soon as he thought that, it was like a brick on his chest. He really did love them all and his heart ached at the thought that it was over. It was enough of a bittersweet feeling that for a second he forgot that the rest of him was still slightly in shock. 

The ship connected in and he stood up, as did everyone else on the bridge, but unlike Jim, they all began clapping. A second later he realized they were all looking at him. He closed his eyes, shook his head, and smiled back at everyone. 

“Come on, come on,” he waved out the door. “Let's get outta here.”

Everyone was all jumbled together, and he could barely see where Diana went as they all walked through the sky bridges. After a few seconds he saw her with Uhura, and went to go talk to her when suddenly a deep voice said, “Captain Kirk! How pleased we are to have you home!” 

It was Admiral Wallace and several other high ranking officials. They all stepped forward to shake his hand and then began ushering him in a different direction. 

“What an achievement this is!” cried the Admiral, patting Jim on the back. “We just couldn't be happier. Everyone is talking about this now, how we can model future starship programs, what this means for deep space exploration…” 

Jim turned his head as Wallace rambled on, looking around one last time for Diana. Finally, he found her. She was far away and there were about a thousand people in between them, but she was looking at him, a soft smile on her face. Then the throng of people trying to move about space dock washed over her, and she disappeared. 

 

For the next 36 hours, Jim was ushered from meeting to meeting. There were about ten million people he was supposed to debrief, by his estimate, although when he grouchily muttered this to Spock while talking to the sixth Federation council that day, Spock informed him that he may be overestimating. 

“I just want it to be done,” Jim moaned under his breath to Spock as another person got up to ask him a question. They were in a room filled with about 50 people, and he and Spock were sitting at the front. “Yes, Chancellor Henzed?” Jim said into the microphone in front of him. 

“How many entirely uncharted planets would you estimate you came across during your five years, and where would you say we should focus our efforts to maximize the number of ones discovered by future starship missions?”

Jim rattled off an answer that sounded incredibly serious and professional, all while thinking that he just wanted two things, to sleep and to talk to Diana, wherever she was. 

“I take it you are not looking forward to tomorrow evening then?” said Spock who sat forward to take the next question.

“Oh don't tell me we have more of these meetings?” Jim whispered, keeping his face perfectly pleasant.

“I do not believe that a First Officer need be chosen out of one area of expertise,” Spock said into the microphone, responding to the question. “Any discipline could have someone with the required leadership skills.” He then sat back and said to Jim, “No, we have the Federation Gala. They are hosting a formal event to celebrate the return of the Enterprise. It was on your schedule.”

Another person stood up and began their set of questions. 

“Spock, I'm reading that thing one meeting at a time,” he said quickly before leaning back into the microphone. “Yes, that is true. We did have several encounters with Klingon vessels. I can elaborate if you specify which mission you're referring to.”

“It is likely to have many more people eager to speak to you about these same topics, as an extremely large number of people were invited to attend,” Spock said as a very old diplomat took a long time to just stand up.

“Great,” sighed Jim. But then it occurred to him that Diana would probably be there, which would make it infinitely more bearable, to say the least. 

 

Unlike Jim, Diana had only had three meetings to attend. She had been a guest on the ship, and therefore not scheduled to attend the litany of conferences that most of the senior staff were scheduled for, and hers were all private ones with the councils she sat on. She had been working remotely for the past year though, so there was not an abundance of things to cover. 

Back at her apartment, she sat on her balcony with a cup of tea, grateful for a calm moment. This gave her an opportunity to think, which she wanted to do before she saw Jim again, assuming that would be the following day, after the many meetings they were attending had ended. She suddenly remembered that the Federation was hosting a gala that she was probably supposed to attend. She smiled into her tea at this thought. Humans didn't change much over the years, and she found it amusing how they still loved their pomp and circumstance.

 

“God, I hate wearing my dress uniform,” muttered Bones. He was tugging at his collar as he took a drink from his glass. 

Jim was standing next to him, clothed in his own dress greys. They were standing in a massive hall with fifty foot ceilings. The lights were slightly dimmed and small bright orbs floated around above, giving off the appearance of stars. Around them were hundreds of people milling about, all in formal wear of their own. Starfleet members peppered the crowd with grey, while all the other people presented a rainbow of colorful outfits. Servers milled about with trays of exotic food and drink, and a band played soft music in the background. 

“Oh, would you stop it,” said Jim. “We haven't had to go to one of these things in years. It's not like you have to do this all the time.”

“I wouldn't mind it so much,” McCoy said, snatching some food off a tray, “if this damn collar didn't try and strangle me.”

“I'm sure you’d find something to complain about,” Jim said, as he turned around, and looked over the crowd. He still didn't see Diana but thought maybe he could if he moved to a new vantage point. 

“Why do we keep moving around?” Bones asked after a few minutes. 

“No reason, I’m just…” Jim scanned the crowd again, “...looking for someone.”

“Who are you looking for,” he asked, and then a look of realization popped on his face and he was suddenly annoyed again. “Oh, come on Jim, are you looking for Diana?” He rolled his eyes. “It's been what, two days since you've seen her? Calm down.”

Jim ignored him and kept looking. 

“Besides,” Bones started back up, “isn't she mad at you for that stuff back on the supply run?”

“I think she let that go,” he mumbled, not paying that much attention to McCoy. 

“Jim, when are you gunna get it?” he asked. “This is a bad idea. I don't care how many stupid jokes you two make or how normal she seems,” Bones lowered his voice, “she is literally an immortal Greek god and you are a normal human! There is no way that ends well, so don’t even start!”

“Well, too bad, I already did,” said Jim as he began moving to his left. 

“What?” yelled Bones. Several heads of state turned toward the doctor with annoyed looks on their faces. “Sorry, sorry,” he said, waving them back to what they were doing. “What do you mean you already did?” he asked, dropping his voice back to a normal decibel. 

“I kissed her, back on the Enterprise,” said Jim in a matter of fact tone, though he smiled a little at the memory. 

“When?” demanded Bones. 

“Right before we pulled into space dock.”

Before McCoy could ask a follow up question, Admiral Jako and his wife had approached them with a few other people Jim vaguely recognized. 

“Kirk! What a party!” he said, reaching out a hand to shake Jim’s. “And all for you!”

“Please, sir,” Jim said smiling and shaking his hand, “it’s for everyone.”

“Oh, come now! You're the man of the hour!” Jako beamed. “We’re out of all those boring meetings and now it's time to hear some real war stories!”

“Well, I wouldn't even know where to begin, sir,” Jim, ever the charmer, was paying complete attention now to his superior officer. Regardless of the fact he couldn’t care less about recounting adventures at this moment, he still entertained the man’s request. “Perhaps the time we got stuck on a disappearing Federation vessel?”

After a several minutes, and two separate accounts of some of their stranger run-ins with the occasional interjection from Bones, Jako laughed and said, “I can't believe this. Dr. Prince! I hear you spent some time on the Enterprise- come tell me if these stories are true.”

Jim turned quickly to see that Diana was about ten feet away, and walking toward them. She was wearing a deep green dress that had sleeves that were nearly off the shoulder and came to a V a few inches below her collarbone. The bottom flowed out in a T shape, the edge lightly skimming the ground. Her hair was up in a large bun, showing the long earrings she wore. Jim, suddenly not paying attention to anything else took a step toward her, and nearly walked into a waiter. 

“Sorry!” he apologized, and by the time he looked back up, she was standing right next to him. She smiled at him and then looked at the people he was standing with. Jako’s wife Enly laughed at Jim and said, “Tell me he's more coordinated on a starship!”

“He handles himself pretty well,” responded Diana.

Bones snorted into his glass. 

“I would hope so!” said one of the other ambassadors Jim hadn't met before, their antenna flicking about. “Dr. Prince, I only recently heard about your stay aboard the Enterprise. What a fascinating experience it must have been.” 

“It was,” she said. “Endlessly educational.”

“I was so pleased to hear that someone from the Councils would be seeing up close and personal what Starfleet is really up to,” said Enly. “Not enough of them understand what it’s like to be whizzing about up there.”

“Hopefully Kirk here didn't feel like the Federation was breathing down his back!” Jako laughed.

“Oh I'm sure he was quite sick of me by the end,” she turned to look at him, fighting a smile. 

“Well, I must admit, it’s difficult to have someone along who constantly needs to have practical combat explained, no offense, Dr. Prince,” he said, keeping his tone serious. 

“None taken,” she took a drink he was pretty sure was to hide a laugh.

“If you’ll excuse us, I think there's some people we need to say hello to over there,” said Enly, pointing toward a group near the dance floor. 

They all exchanged goodbyes, and as soon as they were out of earshot, Diana turned to Jim and said, “The next time someone asks, I'm going to tell them you stayed in your chair the whole time because you hate going to new planets.”

Jim smiled. He had no witty retort, so he just said, “Hi,” eyes fixed on her. 

“Hello,” she said back. 

“Why aren't you in your dress uniform?” demanded Bones, breaking the moment. 

She turned to him slowly. “One of the perks of no one knowing you're an Admiral means they don’t expect you to show up dressed like one,” she said. “Which is good, because I hate wearing those uniforms. They feel like they’re choking me.”

“That's what I said!” exclaimed Bones.

She turned back to Jim.

He tried to think of something to say, something witty or charming. Something that would make her laugh again, but his mind was blank. _Ugh_ , he thought, _wasn’t I good at this once?_ He thought of his younger years and laughed at his twenty two year old self who thought he knew everything.

Eventually, after several seconds of just looking at her, he came up with the ever impressive line of, “Bones, don't you have somewhere to be?”

McCoy looked at the two of them, and then, giving up in a huff, walked off. 

“Wanna dance?” he asked, tilting his head toward the people swirling and swaying around. She nodded, and reached out and took his hand. 

 

Diana felt warm and happy as they moved back and forth. Jim wasn't saying much, which was odd for him.

“How were your meetings?” she asked. 

He shook his head, “Oh, so boring. I don't know how you do it all day.”

She smiled, “They are usually productive, serve some sort of purpose.”

“Yeah, I guess,” he shrugged. “I mean,” he looked at her squinting slightly, “if I get bored, I can't imagine how you feel.”

“Mmm…” Diana mused. “I will admit it's been nice running around space.”

“Nice?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

She looked for a better adjective. “Magical,” she landed on.

“Magical,” he repeated with a smile. “Maybe that's why I hate those meetings. They're all regulations and treaties and paperwork. It is magical out there, but none of them want to hear about that.”

“Tell me,” she said. 

“Tell you what?” Jim asked. 

“Tell me what you want to say to the questions they aren't asking.”

He sighed, thought for a second, and then began. “You know what it’s like, when you're a kid, and the first big snow of the year comes? You look outside and there’s just this thick blanket of untouched white as far as you can see. Then the sun peeks up and it just bursts and reflects across the whole world and you have to go outside. You have to. You throw on your boots and coat and just sprint and fall face first into it. It doesn't matter that it stings your nose or freezes your fingertips, you just keep running and jumping. It’s new, brand new, but it's old at the same time. Billions of people have seen that snow before, and that water could have fallen to earth a trillion times before, but it's new to you in that moment. It's made up of countless bits that are each amazing. You can see the snowflakes in your glove and each one of them is it's own unique little world and you want to just fall right back into the biggest pile of them you can find. It’s harsh and soft at the same time. That, that is what we experience when we run out into the sky. It's…” he paused, “magical.”

Diana looked back at him, a little stunned after that. She was almost mesmerized by the look in his eyes, and she now understood what Ambassador Spock had meant when he said he followed him to the end of the universe. She was pretty sure anyone would follow that. 

In that moment, any lingering question of what she wanted disappeared. She had made up her mind. 

“Dr. Prince,” said a woman approaching them. Her name was Karen Bante, and she was a professor that Diana frequently worked with at the academy. “Sorry to interrupt, but there's a group over there that is insisting on speaking with you. They just have to hear about your year on the Enterprise with Captain Kirk, here!”

Diana dropped her hands from Jim and smiled at her. “Of course.”

“And Captain, I believe there were some Andorians looking for you over there,” she pointed.

“Thank you for letting me know,” he said to Karen. Jim looked back at Diana. “I'll catch up with you in a minute.” She smiled and nodded. 

 

Jim stood with the group of Andorians, once again, completely uninterested in what they wanted to talk about, but letting absolutely none of that on. They kept him for about twenty minutes before they were through and he could excuse himself. He looked around for Diana and the woman that had pulled her away. Eventually his eyes landed on her having an animated discussion with a small group of people. 

Much has been said on the topic of fate or destiny over the years, with many romances being attributed to it. The reality is destiny does not particularly care one way or the other most of the time when it comes to these matters. It cares about the course of the universe and time itself, and whether or not two individuals make eyes across a table at each other has nothing to do with it. 

This was no exception. While destiny has its place in this story, it is not here. 

When James T. Kirk looked across the room and felt a deep tug at his heart when he saw Diana of Themyscira laughing, that was not destiny. 

When he saw her face light up with expressiveness as she recounted stories from the Enterprise and suddenly he felt he was drowning, that was not the hand of fate. 

And when she looked back across the room at him, catching his eye and softly smiling, the universe played no part in him realizing his heart was completely and utterly hers. 

But Diana was as endless and wonderful as the stars his soul was made of. 

So while it was true that destiny did not care whether or not Jim fell in love with her, it was as inevitable as if it had.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! If you're a person interested in another dialogue tease, I posted another on my Tumblr today. [if you'd like!](http://thewanderinguniverse.tumblr.com/post/162398650165/heya-d-when-i-first-read-the-prompt-for%22)

The gala felt endlessly long. Diana kept getting pulled this way or that, and it was even worse for Jim. Everyone was clamoring to talk to him.

She ran into most of the other crew members at some point, but they, like their captain, were in high demand. 

It was funny to her that so many people who pulled her aside to talk wanted to know if this or that about the now seemingly legendary James T. Kirk was true. Back on that first day that she had seen him, it was such a cliche to her when the professor had said he was the smartest person at Starfleet. For years she had rolled her eyes at this, thinking he was an absolute idiot. But everything had changed and now he was absolute sunshine. He was profoundly human in the best sense of the word.

“If I have to answer one more question like, ‘Did you really see Abraham Lincoln floating in space?’ I may actually die right here and now.” Jim had escaped another throng and found Diana. 

“You can't die. Haven't you heard,” she said, leaning in slightly, “Starfleet captains are very difficult to replace.”

Jim glanced down at her lips as she said this, and she assumed he was remembering when he had last said that. 

He glanced over her shoulder and let out a groan. “Noooo… Wallace is coming back. He's gunna start talking about how impressive the Enterprise’s schematics are and how every new ship should be designed and...ugh, I've already memorized it.” He pretended to fall asleep, and then perked back up once Wallace got to them. 

“Dr. Prince, I see you're talking to our boy here,” he chortled. “Hasn't the Federation had you hanging over his head enough this past year?”

The two of them exchanged a look.

Diana wasn't particularly bothered, but Jim seemed put off. Perhaps it was because he was tired of talking to Wallace, but unlike last time she was accused of being a Federation plant, he didn't try and crack a joke. 

“It was my decision to invite her on an extended observation, sir.” His tone was polite enough but it didn’t have that little glow that charmed everyone around him in about two seconds. There was no smile behind the words. 

“Oh, please, Dr. Prince here is a grown woman,” Wallace scoffed, “you don't need to pretend for her sake.”

“It’s not a lie. She wasn't micromanaging situations. She’s a brilliant tactician who educated the entire crew much to their benefit.” His brow was starting to furrow. 

“Perhaps you should have gone the military route, instead of the academic then, Dr. Prince! More fun than sitting around all day in Council meetings.”

“Yes, well I'll keep that in mind for any future career moves,” she said. 

Thankfully, Wallace saw fit to end the conversation a few minutes later, as someone else he knew walked by and he turned to talk to them. 

“Don’t you outrank him?” asked Jim, now that they had gone. 

“Technically, yes.” She looked around. “I outrank nearly everyone here, actually.”

“On a variety of things, I'm sure.” A smile had returned to his face.

“Well, I think this senior officer is going to leave, as she has fulfilled her obligation to appear.” Diana looked around to make sure there wasn't anyone she needed to talk to. 

“Really? Oh please don't leave me with these people,” he begged.

“You know, you could leave, too,” she pointed out. 

“Do you think anyone would notice?” he asked. 

“Probably,” she shrugged. 

A small smile pulled at his lips at her honestly. “Alright, come on, let's go.”

 

They walked around outside for a while, talking about nothing. After a while she realized they were near her apartment and that sounded nicer than a San Francisco evening in March. She started heading that way, and realized that Jim didn't know where she was leading. 

“I want tea,” she stated. “My place is over here.” Diana waved her hand at a building down the street. 

“I could go for some tea.”

They walked inside. Diana went in and dropped her things on the table in the entry, while he looked around, taking in her home. 

“You know what I can't get over?” asked Jim, following her as she walked into the kitchen. 

“Mmm?” she responded, pulling a box of tea bags from her cupboard. 

“How many people tonight asked me the same stupid question as Jako and Wallace,” he said, leaning on her counter. 

Diana walked to the replicator and asked for two hot waters. “And what question would that be?” She dropped the tea into the water and handed him one. 

“Was I frustrated at the Federation for sending someone to babysit.” Jim wrinkled his nose in annoyance. “Is there anyone who would ever be frustrated having you around?”

Diana laughed at that. “Jim, I can be quite difficult if I want to be. Very stubborn. I'm sure I can think of plenty of people who have found me frustrating.”

“Lies,” he said, smiling and shaking his head while he took a sip of tea. 

She mirrored his leaning on the counter. “So is that really what they think I was doing?” she wondered. “Babysitting the Enterprise?”

“Apparently a few did. It was mostly captains or former captains all saying some form of, ‘Can't imagine that on my ship! Can't get anything done!’” He took a sip of the tea. “One even asked me if I had to deal with finding you extra protection for away missions.”

“To be fair,” Diana pointed out, “they all haven't see me snap a man's neck right in front of them.”

“What? You haven't done that in a Federation meeting?” he said in a tone of pretend shock. 

“My restraint is impressive,” she chuckled, “but I won't say it's never crossed my mind.”

He smiled at her, and then looked beyond her shoulder into her living room. “What's that?” he asked, nodding to something.

She turned to see him looking in the direction of a tablet with Greek lettering on one of her many bookshelves. “That,” she said, putting down her tea and walking to it, “would be the only thing I've ever found that mentions my home.” Jim had followed her, and was looking at the writing. 

“Says something about an island in the Mediterranean,” he mumbled, eyeing the letters. 

“You know Ancient Greek?” she asked in a tone of surprise.

“Barely. And don't tell Uhura,” he said turning to look at her. “I'm not gunna sit around and talk about it's influence on modern language.”

“I won't tell a soul,” she smiled. 

Silence hung thick in the air for the first time since they had left the gala. He looked at her, as if trying to decided what to say next. After a moment he said, “It’s getting late.”

“You can stay.” Diana offered. She remembered the first time she had said those words to him, back by Apollo’s grave a year ago. 

She wasn't sure why she had said it then. She knew exactly why she said it now. 

He nodded. For a second he just stood there, looking at her, and then, in a heartbeat, he had closed the gap between them and his lips were on hers. 

She returned the kiss with eagerness, reaching her hands up and grabbing at his hair at the back of his neck. His hands were at her waist pulling her closer in. She could feel them almost digging into her hips. 

She released one of her hands from his hair, but still continued kissing him. The free hand began tugging at the top of his dress uniform. After a second she found the top button and had successfully opened the collar. 

For a moment she was distracted from undoing anything else as his lips left hers and moved to her neck. She let out a sigh as he moved from her ear to her collarbone. She pulled on the back of his neck and the two of them backed into a different bookcase nearby. The top of it pressed into the middle of her back, but she didn't care. She was kissing his lips again, almost hungrily. His hands had come up to the sides of her face, and as they did she pulled out the one long pin holding her hair in place. It fell around her face, and his hands were instantly tangled in it. She returned to the task of opening his shirt while still trying to pay attention to his lips on hers. Lips that were soft and gentle but forceful all at the same time. 

She found the top of the zipper and pulled. It opened to his undershirt underneath and she began trying to pull at the jacket. He took one hand away from her face at a time to let her tug it off. She smiled at him as she fisted her hands in his shirt, pulling him in for a short kiss before pushing him back so she could pull it over his head. 

As soon as she had gotten it off he pushed her back into the bookcase, even harder than before. As his lips found hers, his fingers found the clasp at the back of her dress and quickly undid it. Her hands were grasping at his chest as he slid the dress off her shoulders. It fell at her feet in a giant pile revealing her matching navy blue underwear. Her feet began to get tangled in all of the fabric, and he seemed to notice. Without breaking their kiss, he lifted her onto the top of the bookshelf and kicked away the dress. She now was sitting nearly a head taller than him, so he started nipping at her neck again. Diana dug her fingers into his bare back as his mouth moved lower. Her legs wrapped around his waist. 

She pulled him back from her chest for a moment, looking at him. She ran her fingers along the edge of his lips and then touched either side of his face ever so lightly. Gods, he was beautiful. Part of her wanted to just stare at him and the insane blue of his eyes, but a tiny smile began to pull at his mouth and she then went right back to kissing him, his neck arched to meet her. 

Her legs grew tighter around his waist, and eventually he pulled her back off the bookshelf. She gripped him tight as he carried her still like that, looking for the bedroom. At one point he accidentally backed her into the wall next to the bedroom door, slightly banging her head, which made her laugh. She thought she heard a, “Sorry,” under his lips, but she didn’t care. 

He finally found the bedroom door, and they went in. Diana slid her legs off him as they reached the foot of her bed, and with steady hands, pulled him onto it with her. 

 

Jim woke up in a bed that was soft and deep. The air smelled fresh and he could hear the early sounds of traffic, which made him think a window must be open somewhere. He rolled over to find the other half of the bed empty. 

Opening his eyes, he slowly sat up, looking around Diana’s room. It was furnished simply, not unlike her office. Artwork hung on the walls and a few photos sat atop her dresser. He swung his legs out of bed, grabbing his pants from the floor. He pulled them on, and began looking around as he zipped them up. The photos on her dresser looked like they were about a hundred years apart. One he was pretty sure was called a Polaroid. Diana was at what appeared to be a concert with several friends, all of them with their arms around each other. Her t-shirt had a airplane tail on it that read, “Beastie Boys” with the words “Madison Square Garden 8.20.87 beneath it.” He laughed at this and muttered, “No way…”

The other one was of her and another woman sitting in front of of a building that said, “Oxford Library.” They were sitting cross legged, and balancing stacks of books on their heads. Their clothes made him think it was probably sometime in the late 21st century.

He walked out of her room and looked around the apartment. 

Diana stood on her balcony, a robe loosely tied about her. The sun was rising and it bounced off her hair that fell long around her back. Every inch of her radiated and it was impossible not to remember that she was, in fact, deity. 

Jim was not a particularly religious man but he wondered if what had happened last night constituted some form of worship. 

She apparently heard him walk out, and turned, smiling over at him. She picked up a mug that was resting on the ledge and handed it to him as he walked over to her. 

“I made you some coffee,” she smiled at him, and as soon as she did he thought he might like to crawl into that coffee cup and drown. He opted for just accepting it and taking a sip.

“That is amazing,” he said. Of course it was.

“I actually made it, instead of replicating it. Fresh ground and everything.” She looked pleased with herself. She reached and picked up her own mug that was sitting next to where his had been.

“Do you have to do anything today?” she asked. He wished the answer was, no, but unfortunately…

“Yeah, last two meetings,” he said, sipping at the coffee and leaning on the railing across from her. 

“And then,” she asked, eyeing him from her mug as she drank some more. 

“And then…” he sighed, thinking. “And then a month of shore leave.”

“That feels short for right after a five year mission,” she said, her eyebrows furrowed. 

He shrugged. “They have things they need done. I don't think I'm going back out, but I know they want me to be doing something at HQ.”

“Mmm,” she said, thinking. “Well, I suppose that will have to do.”

“Do for what?” he asked, trying to guess what lay behind the smile that was creeping onto her face. 

“I believe it was a year ago you told me that I should go on an adventure with you?” She leaned back, looking at him. “All eager and bright eyed in that hallway.”

He remembered that day. Back then his offer stemmed from a feeling of wanting to say thank you, somehow, and that was the best way he could think of. Not that he wasn't aware that he was attracted to her, but he hadn't expected anything more to form from that. He hadn't expected this strange feeling of comfort and ease that would grow between them.

“Yeah, I'd say it went pretty well,” he replied. 

“I would have to agree with that,” she said, taking one last sip of coffee and then setting it down. “So I am now saying the same thing. For your month off,” she took a breath in and said with a smile, “Come with me. Come have an adventure.”


	21. Chapter 21

There are certain things that history remembers about James T. Kirk. One of them is his rather violent entrance into this universe, or rather the violence surrounding him. When discussing him, people often say the phrase, “he was born in battle.” While this is not inaccurate, it leaves out an important fact. He was also born among the stars. 

Diana on the other hand had always felt profoundly connected to the Earth. Perhaps it came from spending the majority of her life believing that she came from the clay within it, but whatever it was, her heart was tied to this planet. 

Several months ago she and Jim had sat on a planet at the end of a mission, and she had remarked as she watched the suns set over the horizon that it reminded her of the Serengeti. Jim shrugged, and said maybe, but he had never been there in person. He then had admitted that beyond Iowa, San Francisco, and the occasional Federation meeting in Paris, he hadn't seen much of the planet of his youth. 

Diana had thought that a terrible tragedy. 

“Where are going?” Jim asked as they hiked up a cobbled road. 

They were in Italy along the Amalfi Coast. The sea was audible as it crashed lightly against the shore. People rode by them on tiny hovering scooters, and seagulls could be seen circling above. 

“Well,” began Diana, “there are very few people who know who I really am. Obviously there's you and the rest form the Enterprise. Also my friend T’Aleh knows. But there are three others, and they are…” she paused as they rounded a corner, “here.”

Diana smiled as she pointed to a small shop that said Real Italian Gelato overhead. Tiny tables and chairs sat under a striped awning in the front. 

Jim looked at her, confused. “It's an ice cream store.”

“It's not just a ice store, it is the ice cream store. The best in the whole world,” she said leading him in. 

“I would say that's a bold statement but I suppose you've actually tried them all,” Jim mused. 

“Nearly,” she said, pushing open the door hearing it make a jingle. 

A loud yell came from behind the counter. “Aaaaahhhhh! Diana! Principessa! My wonderful woman!” A short old man with a bald head and green eyes threw his hands into the air. He hurried around the counter and Diana bent down to kiss him on either cheek. 

“Hello, Antonio,” she grinned. 

“Where have you been!” he cried in a thick Italian accent. “It has been over a year!”

“I sent you a postcard,” said Diana defensively. 

“Papa, why are you making so much no- Diana!!” A woman who looked to be about 40 walked out from the back. The instant she saw Diana, she, like her father, had run around the counter and embraced her. “Where have you been?”

“I just asked her that!” shouted Antonio. 

Diana laughed. “I've been traveling for work.” She looked over at Jim who was absolutely grinning at this entire exchange. “But I'm here and I'd like you to meet someone.”

“Ah! Yes! Who is your friend here?” he asked, waving his arms at Jim. 

“This is Jim Kirk. Jim, this is Antonio and Roberta Verde.” 

The two people smiled and hugged him, which seemed to surprise him a little but, he returned it nonetheless.

“Ahh...Well, sit! Sit!” said Antonio, waving outside. “And I shall go get you your favorite. And what do you like Mr. Jim?”

“Whatever you have is just fine, sir,” he replied. 

“Oh Diana, you must tell me how you've been,” said Roberta as the man disappeared into the back. 

The three of them went outside and Diana gave her a brief recap of her last year. A few minutes later, Antonio came out and handed each of them a small bowl. After Jim took his first bite, he groaned. 

“Oh, that has to be the best thing I've ever tasted. Diana, how did you find this place?”

“Diana has been coming to our shop for almost three hundred years!” said Antonio. 

“Papa!” Roberta yelled, looking out of the corner of her eye at Jim, and mumbling in Italian, “ _What if he doesn't know_?”

“It's fine, Roberta,” she said, putting her hand on hers.

“Do you know about Diana?” asked Antonio to Jim. 

Jim smiled over at her and said, “Yes, I know about Diana.”

“See! It's ok,” Antonio said to his daughter. He turned back to Jim. “Now I'll tell you the story. It had been in my family for six generations!”

“I'm excited to hear it,” said Jim, turning his attention to the man.

“So, ok, see in 1967 my third great grandparents, Marco and Anna opened this shop. Business does well. Then, one day, in walks the most beautiful woman! And she eats so much gelato! And they tell everyone about the beautiful woman with the giant stomach.”

Diana laughed. “It was very good!”

“So, a few months later she comes back. She eats more. And then she keeps coming back, every few months! Years go by and the beautiful woman stays the beautiful woman. Then, one day, Marco, he is very old now see, he turns on the news and there she is!” He gestured to Diana. “A giant monster was attacking the flying man, and there she was with her sword, saving him. Marco, he yells to Anna, ‘Look! Look! Our gelato eater is on the news! And she fights monsters with that flying man! No wonder she eats so much. She needs the energy!”

Jim looked over at Diana but did not interrupt the man's story.

“Marco, he died. His daughter Sophia takes over the shop. Diana, she keeps coming. They are good friends because Sophia knows her her whole life. Sophia, she gets old and she starts training her son, my great grandfather, to take over. Now there has been a war, a big war and many things have been said about the Wonderful Woman! People say she's not real! The Wonderful Woman is just a story now. But Sophia says to my great grandfather, she is not a story! Diana is the Wonderful Woman! She is good and kind and our friend. And no one believed my great grandfather. He tried to tell people, ‘I know her! She eats my gelato!’ But they did not believe. So now, it is just our family. We see her all the time still, and she tells us about her travels, and we keep a pint of her favorite always ready in the back.”

“Well, what a story!” Jim said, shaking his head at Diana slightly. “Who would have guessed the way to know all of Diana’s stories was just to keep feeding her ice cream?”

“Not just any ice cream,” assured Diana. “The best. And can I say Antonio, today’s batch is especially good.”

“That’s because you've been having replicated ice cream,” said Roberta. 

A gaggle of people came walking around the corner and they all, made their way into the shop. Antonio and Roberta got up to go serve them, but not before saying she couldn't leave until Rosa came by. “She missed you last time!” Antonio called. 

“I will tell her you're here,” assured Roberta as she walked back into the shop. 

“Who's Rosa?” asked Jim.

“Her daughter,” answered Diana. “She should be about 18 now.”

He nodded. “So, if I go get you more of that do I get to know all about your life?” Jim asked, nodding to her bowl.

“I think I have enough right now for at least one question,” she teased. 

He thought for a second and then asked, "What's it like being Zeus's daughter?" 

Diana was surprised at his choice in question. She let out a deep breath. "I don't really know. He died before I ever met him."

"Really? I'm sorry," he said. 

Diana shrugged. "I didn't even know he was my father until I left Themyscira. My mother told me that I was sculpted from clay and that Zeus brought me to life."

"Why didn't she tell you he was your father? Why add the clay story?" asked Jim, clearly confused. "Did they... uh... not get along?"

Diana laughed at that. "Are you referring to my father's supposed promiscuity?"

Jim wrinkled his face. "I mean we all heard the stories and I wouldn't want to deal with him."

"Honestly, I have no idea if those are real. But that's not why she didn't tell me. She was trying to protect me from knowing what I really was. What I was supposed to be." As she said this, a little pang hit her heart. It was a familiar feeling that cropped up every now and then. Diana missed her mother. 

“Well, I'm sorry you didn't know him. Whether or not the stories are true, it's still hard to not know your dad,” he said. 

“You didn’t,” she pointed out. 

“No, I did not,” he sighed. “So I say that from personal experience.”

His face was unusually serious for a moment. She reached out and lightly ran her fingers through the edge of his hair, pushing it back slightly. It hadn't been difficult for her to grow up without a father she didn't know existed, but it had been strange to realize she would never know him once she discovered her true origin. In all her years, she didn't think she had ever heard anyone express condolences for this.

It was a shared moment of unexpected understanding. 

“Diana?!” 

She turned around to see Rosa running toward her.

“Rosa!” she said, standing up and stretching out her arms. The young woman almost jumped into them. 

“It’s true! You’re here!” Rosa squeezed her for a good while before letting go. 

She was wearing a tshirt and leather jacket. Her hair was short and black. “You've cut your hair!” smiled Diana. She put her hands on Rosa’s face. “And look at you! You look so old!”

Rosa grinned at her and then glanced over to see who she was sitting with. She did a double take. 

“HOLY SHIT!” she yelled. “You're Captain Kirk!”

Diana turned around to Jim to give him a surprised smile. 

“Um, yes. I am,” he said, awkwardly standing up. 

Rosa stuck out her hand to shake his, suddenly a serious look on her face. “Hi. Rosa Verde. I'm just, it's… just an honor to meet you, sir.”

“Yeah, well,” Jim looked at Diana slightly confused, “thanks?”

Something clicked in Diana’s head to explain this reaction. “Rosa, have you decided you want to join Starfleet?”

“Yes!” she said. “I got serious about it about 18 months ago. I've been reading and studying and trying to prepare and I just…” she gestured at Jim, “can’t believe your standing in front of me.”

“I'm much more impressive on paper, I promise,” he said. 

“No, but you just commanded the first five year mission! I watched all the streamed conferences the other day! You were very good! You are the youngest captain, by far to ever be put in the chair and at the Starfleet flagship no less!” She paused to breathe, eyes still wide. ‘I just want to say, I’ve applied for the academy next year, and I hope that I will be able to achieve even half of what you did.”

Diana snorted at this and said, “That's a pretty low bar.” She smiled at Jim and then added, “But you're right about the five year mission. It was a sight to behold.”

“Wait,” Rosa looked at them for a second. “Why is he here? How do you know him?”

“I was on the Enterprise for the past year,” Diana said. 

Rosa looked like she might pass out. “NO WAY, DIANA. Oh, you have to tell me everything.” She sat down, looking up expectantly.

The three of them sat there and talked for over three hours, Rosa asking about a thousand questions. Roberta and Antonio came out at one point, bringing them food and more gelato, and sitting to listen. Eventually the sun dipped down below the horizon and Diana and Jim said their goodbyes. As they left Jim turned to Rosa and said, “If you find me when you get to the Academy, I'll take you up and show you around the whole Enterprise. I'll even bring Scotty along to talk about all the engineering mumbo-jumbo.”

Rosa almost cried. 

 

The next few days were spent wandering around Italy. Diana insisted that more time than they had should be spent at all the places they were stopping, but she only had a month, so she made due. 

They went south and stopped in Egypt for a half a week. When they walked through one of the pyramids, Jim pointed at a statue of Osiris and asked, “Cousin of yours?”

Diana laughed and then paused. Maybe?

After that they stopped in Bavaria for a day and a half to see several castles.

“You mentioned that one time you wanted a planet with old English knights and kings,” she said, “but honestly, the Germans built better castles, if a little impractical.”

Jim’s favorite was Hohenzollern because it had kept getting burnt or knocked down, but always built back up. “It’s tenacious,” he asserted. 

From there they went to St. Petersburg. 

“Just wait until Checkov hears that I've finally been to Russia,” he said, admiring an onion dome.

“You won't have to wait long. We’re going to see him,” Diana informed him. 

Jim's face lit up. “Really? He’s here? Does he know we’re coming?”

“Not exactly,” she responded. “A while back on the ship we were talking when his mother Natasha suddenly called him. She heard me talking to him in Russian and insisted on talking to me, because according to her, not enough people speak the ‘best language.’”

“Sounds exactly what I'd imagine his mother to say,” he laughed. 

“Well, we talked a few more times, and she invited me to come see her when I got back to earth, and I said I would, so here we are,” she said happily. “Checkov mentioned to me he was going home to see her during his shore leave, so I'm assuming he’ll be here. I don't think they will mind the surprise.”

A little while later, they were knocking at an apartment door.

“ _Coming_ ,” she heard Checkov call in Russian. When he swung open the door, his face was a combination of confusion and delight. 

“Ceyptin!” he cried. “Vat are you doing here! And vis Dr. Prince?”

“We were in the neighborhood and apparently she promised to say hi to your mom,” Jim said, pointing at Diana. 

“Oh! Dr. Prince! You didn’t have to do zat!” he said, though looking touched. “But I think she will be happy to see you.”

“ _Is that English I here? You know the rules, nothing but Russian in this house!_ ” A woman speaking Russian walked toward the door. She was about 60 with greying blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She stopped when she saw who was at her door.

“ _Pavel!_ ” she said, face in shock as she stared at Jim and Diana, “ _Go get the good China!_ ”

“ _Hello, Natasha,_ ” Diana spoke to her in Russian, “ _I promised that I would come and my word is my bond._ ”

“ _An honorable woman!_ ” Natasha cried. “ _And here I thought you were perfect already. And you’ve brought Pavel’s captain. Oh, come in come in,_ ” she said, waving them inside. 

“So does she speak standard?” asked Jim, smiling but oblivious to what was being said. 

“ _English is not standard. It is English. In this home Russian is standard,_ ” she said narrowing her eyes at him, but then softened a little, “ _but for you, Pavel’s captain, I will allow it._ ”

“What?” Jim asked Diana. 

Checkov called from the kitchen, “Ve’re not supposed to speak anything other than Russian inside, but she says it’s ok if you use English.”

“How gracious,” he said. “I suppose I’ll just not know what anyone is saying.”

“ _Now you know what the rest of the planet feels like,_ ” Natasha said.

“ _Mom, most of the planet speaks English. You speak English!_ ” said Checkov as he walked in with a tray of tea and Russian cookies. 

She just waved her hand at this. 

They all sat down and began chatting. Natasha was eager to tell Jim about what Checkov had been like as a child, and how she knew he was going to do big things. She wanted him to know that her son was the absolute best in his class and even the other parents said so. Diana translated what she was saying. 

“Yes well, we felt very lucky to have him with us, Ms. Checkov. I met him when he was 17, and he was already saving everyone's neck then.” Jim told her. “I feel very privileged to have had him on my bridge.”

“ _Ohh.._ ” she said, looking at him with a satisfied smile, “ _This is wonderful. Thank you. And you should know Pavel just thinks the world of you. Always telling me what a good captain you are. I see he is right._ ”

They told her about some of the more impressive missions they have gone on with Checkov, and how he was probably going to be selected for a senior command position when they got their next assignment. 

Eventually Natasha started asking Diana about her. What she did, if she liked it, things like that. She wanted hear what Diana thought about nearly every topic from the tea they were drinking to current negotiations with the Klingon Empire. Apparently she was answering correctly, because with each one Natasha grew more and more pleased. 

“ _That is it! You are indeed the perfect woman,_ ” Natasha exclaimed after one apparently very good answer. “ _I hope he knows that,_ ” she said, glancing at Jim. “ _Leave him if he doesn't._ ”

“ _Mom! They just work together. It’s not like that._ ” Checkov said. Diana was a little surprised at this since she had assumed most people had picked up on what was happening, but she also hadn't overly concerned herself with other people's opinions. 

“ _Pavel, I know these things. They are together,_ ” she said, waving him off. “ _Is he a good man?_ ” Natasha asked. 

Diana nodded. 

“ _Is he a good lover?_ ”

“ _MOM!_ ” protested Checkov. 

Diana fought back a smile. She loved women who had aged out of their filter. 

“ _What?_ ” she said defensively. “ _Too many women settle for men who don't know or care what they are doing. She deserves better. She is too young and pretty for that._ ”

“ _I’m older than I look,_ ” Diana responded, “ _and I would say that no woman, no matter her age or appearance should settle for a man._ ”

“ _Wise words, Ms. Diana. So you're satisfied?_ ” she asked. 

Diana paused and then said something that made Natasha give Jim a heartily impressed look and Checkov turn about as red as the beet’s she could smell stewing in the other room. 

“Wait, what’s happening. Am I missing an embarrassing story about Checkov?” Jim asked. 

“I'll tell you later,” said Diana, taking a sip of her tea. 

They stayed for dinner, which Diana had been correct in guessing would include beets. Natasha fussed over if they had eaten enough in classic Russian mother fashion. After third helpings of the food, she was finally happy, and she sent them on their way, with a promise that they were always welcome in her home if they were ever in Russia again. She also asked Diana to stay in touch, which she of course agreed to. 

“ _I'm sorry about her,_ ” Checkov said quietly as he walked them to the door. 

“ _It's just fine,_ ” Diana smiled. “ _We’ll see you back in San Francisco in a few weeks_.”

“Bye Checkov!” Jim smiled. “Tell your mother it was lovely and thank her again for the food.”

“I vill, Ceyptin,” he nodded, not quite making eye contact. 

 

The next day while the two of them had stopped to grab a bite to eat and were sitting at a picnic table in some gardens, Jim asked, “I almost forgot, what were you saying when Checkov turned into a tomato?” He took a swig of his water.

“Oh,” Diana said in a perfectly flat tone, “she wanted to know if you a satisfying lover.”

Jim spat out his water. “What?!”

Diana raised an eyebrow in amusement. 

“Wait…” he said slowly. “What did you say?”

“I’m not answering that,” she said shaking her head. 

“Why?” he demanded. 

“Because, if I do, I can think of a certain grumpy doctor who would yell at me for inflating your ego.” The corner of her mouth twitched up. 

 

After Russia, they spent a week in Shanghai, then three days in the outback, and two in Santiago. 

“Can I make a request?” asked Jim. 

It was late, and Diana was almost asleep. She opened her eyes to see him sitting up, looking at his padd.

“Yes?” she mumbled. 

“Can we go to Iowa?”

“Iowa?” she asked, slightly less groggy than her last response.

He put his padd down. “Yeah, for the last few days before we have to go back to work.”

She blinked up at him. “Sure,” she said with a tiny smile. “Let's go to Iowa.”

 

In the three hundred plus years of walking in the world of men, Diana had never once considered Iowa to be a particularly remarkable place. She had passed through several times, and that’s all it ever was to her. A place to pass through. Nondescript.

When the transport arrived, she couldn't say much had changed. The people were still kind and friendly, which she very much enjoyed, but the rest of it was just, well, not the place that came to mind when describing the beauty of the earth. 

They picked up a car and drove through what felt like endless rows of corn. She laughed to herself. Looking out her window, she would have no way to tell what century it was. 

Finally they arrived at a house at the end of a long dirt road. It was a plain simple farm house, and it appeared no one was home. 

“Where are we?” she asked, suspecting the answer.

Jim had his hands on his hips and sighed. “My home.” He looked at it with a strange expression. Like it wasn't something that particularly wanted to see. The sun was overhead, and he squinted, raising one hand to shade his eyes. “Well, my mom’s, I guess. It was my grandparents and they gave it to her when she married my dad.”

“Where is she?” Diana asked.

Jim shrugged. “Off world.”

He didn't say anything else, but he began walking inside. 

It was odd, almost out of place to see him here. She was used to seeing him running around a bridge, filled with clean lines and bright artificial lights, or a planet new and different. Even the past month hadn't felt out of place, but this did. She could have been standing back in the Kent house. She half expected Martha to pop around a corner. 

But she didn’t. It was just her and Jim. Jim with a t-shirt and jeans and a day old stubble. 

She wasn't entirely sure what they, what he, was doing there, but she waited for him to say something as to why. It didn't come quickly. He wasn't particularly talkative as they walked around, but she didn't mind the quiet. 

 

Later when the sun started to set, he asked, “Wanna go somewhere with me?”

She nodded, not pointing out that she already was.

They got in the car and drove for about twenty minutes before she could see the shipyards come into focus. Jim didn't drive all the way to them, but rather pulled off into a field that overlooked them. 

He got out and stood there, staring at the ships. The setting sun bathed him in orange light and a breeze ruffled his hair. 

“I was an ass to my mom,” he said suddenly. Jim didn't look at Diana, just kept staring ahead at the blinking lights. 

“Recently?” she asked, coming to stand by him. 

“No, growing up. I was the absolute worst. I was angry all the time and I took it out on her, which she never did anything to deserve. I hated my step dad, and I hated it here.” He turned to her slightly, but still looked ahead. “Honestly, I was a giant cliche. A boy mad at the world because somehow it was all their fault that my dad was dead.”

She looked over. His chest rose and fell and let out a sigh. He reached down, picked up a handful of rocks and began tossing them as far as he could. 

“Do you believe in destiny?” he asked, pitching another one. 

“No,” said Diana flatly. 

He turned and looked at her for a second. “Really? You? Member of the Greek pantheon, who if I'm remembering legend correctly, had oracles and the actual fates?”

“Just because they exist doesn't mean I believe what they say,” she said. 

“Wait, so they are real?” he asked, continuing to throw what was in his hand. 

“Real is subjective,” she said. “Are they real if they are wrong?”

He stopped what he was doing and just focused on her. “So, no destiny for you, then?”

“Not anymore,” Diana paused. “Let's just say I had a crisis of faith. Why do you ask?”

“You knew Ambassador Spock?” he asked, looking back to the ships, hands on his hips.

“Yes,” she said, knowing he knew this. 

“I met him once. Right after Vulcan was destroyed. He mind melded with me to explain the whole time travel thing.” He breathed in. “It was mostly what was going on right then, but parts of me could feel the parts of him that remembered me. Other me. It was just flashes, but I still wonder about Other Kirk some days. If I'm living up to him.”

He was silent for a second, before continuing. 

“You know, when I was fighting Nero, he said to me, ‘I know your face from earth’s history. James T. Kirk was considered a great man.’” Jim swallowed. “I mean, who is that guy? What was he that even some nobody Romulan from a mining vessel probably a hundred years after he was dead and gone, knew him by name, by just looking at me? Sometimes I'll be sitting in that captains chair and I just think, would Other Kirk know what to do in this situation? Did he earn that chair instead of having it accidentally fall in his lap? Would he know what to do at the end of his five year mission? Could Other Kirk have saved those people?” 

His voice cracked, barley. Almost imperceptibly. “Was Other Kirk nicer to his mom?”

Diana didn't know what to say to this, but she suspected he wasn't really looking for an answer, so she just reached out and held his hand, watching the ships move. 

 

When they were driving back to the transport station to go back to San Francisco, Diana said to Jim, “I can't tell you what your destiny is, Jim. But I can tell you where your home is, and it's not that house.” She turned to look at him and smiled. “Your home is above you, not behind you.”

 

It had been several weeks since Jim had gotten back from running around with Diana, and he was still in as Bones put it, “an impossibly good mood.” 

There was part of him that was a little bored now that he was back in meetings all day. The initial circuit after they landed was nothing compared to his schedule now they were trying to pull every piece of valuable information out of the five year mission. He was also being scheduled to lecture two or three times a week at The Academy, with many messages and requests from professors and student eager to learn from what he’d seen and done. 

But that boredom didn't bother him much since now most of his days included Diana. Well, his whole life had included her for a year straight, but it was different now and he was happy. 

One day, Jim walked into Diana’s office to meet her for lunch, and she wasn't there. He assumed she was probably just running late from talking to some diplomat, and made himself comfortable. He poked around her desk and tried to guess where the art that hung on her walls was from. At one point he leaned back, and when he did, he noticed a shelf full of more photos. 

He got up to look at them, expecting to be amused like he had been with the ones in her apartment. For the first few, he was. Then he saw it. 

Sitting toward the back was a black and white photo that, based on the clothes and guns, was from sometime around World War I. Diana stood in the middle, and there, standing next to her, plain as day, was him. 

\---


	22. Chapter 22

"Do you think we travel back in time?” asked Kirk, trying on a ridiculous looking jacket with green ruffles. “Has she already met me? Has she known me this whole time and didn't say anything?”

Jim had gone with Spock to pick up his suit from the tailor, and was going through the display as they waited. He didn't actually have that many Best Man related obligations, except now before the last few days before the wedding. Spock and Uhura had decided to get married in early May because of her family. Her mother and father had insisted that they have a little time to put something together, and since neither of them cared about a few more weeks, the date had been set. They were all going west to Yosemite Falls in five days for the weekend. 

For some unknown reason Bones had joined them at the tailor as well. Perhaps it was because he actually considered Spock a friend and was very happy for him. Perhaps. 

“I do not know, Jim,” responded Spock to the deluge of questions. “I would point out that asking her these questions would be the logical course of action.”

It had been a few days since Jim had seen the photo, and he was trying not to panic over WHY she had a picture of them he had no memory of taking. 

“No, see this is what you get,” said Bones pointing at Jim. “All women have secrets and you've gone and involved yourself with one with 2,000 years of them. I told you this would happen.”

Jim rolled his eyes. “Oh I'm sorry I didn't factor in accidentally traveling through time when considering the situation!” 

“I realize that comment is made in jest,” Spock began, “however it is a frequent enough occurrence in your life that perhaps you should have.”

“Are you taking his side?” demanded Jim. 

“No,” stated Spock. “I maintain the logical course of action would be to simply speak to Diana on the matter.”

“Yeah, but what if she can't say anything? Because if I know I won't go and I won't meet her… What if it makes a paradox or something?” Jim stared off into space for a second, thinking. “This is making my head hurt.”

“Yeah, well soon a lot more of you is gunna be hurting because apparently you're gunna end up in World War I and probably catch dysentery,” Bones sat back, folding his arms. “All because you didn't listen to me.”

The tailor came out and handed Spock a garment bag. Spock bowed and held the Ta’al in thanks and the three of them walked out of the shop. 

“Alright, let's see it,” said Jim, taking a break from panicking. He was pointing at the bag containing the suit. 

Spock unzipped it to reveal a plain, navy blue suit of clearly earth origins. 

“That’s not very Vulcan!” said Bones, a confused look on his face. 

“Likely because it's prior owner was not Vulcan,” Spock stated. “It belonged to my mother’s father. As she cannot be in attendance, we have done a few things in her memory.”

“Spock, that's really great,” said Jim, smiling over at him. “What are the other things?”

“As my mother was Jewish, we will be married by a rabbi, although the ceremony is not exactly completely in the Hebrew vein. I believe Nyota has made sure to include things from her own ancestry.”

“Thank God her parents are planning this,” Bones said. “Her dad is the best cook I've ever met.”

“Banou will not be providing the catering for the day. The food will be a selection of Vulcan dishes,” informed Spock. 

“What!” exclaimed Bones. “You're telling me that I could be eating her dad’s Nyama Choma, but instead we’re gunna be stuck with a bunch of weird Vulcan vegetables?”

“Vulcan food is highly nutritious and I would assume that as a doctor you would be in favor of it's consumption,” Spock pointed out. 

“Yeah, well my tastebuds are not in favor,” said Bones. He looked over at Jim who hadn't been paying much attention to their bickering. 

“Jim… look… are you sure it was you?” Bones said, returning to what he knew was plaguing Jim. “Maybe you saw it wrong. After all, old photo’s aren't always great quality.”

Jim shook his head. “It was me.”

 

It’s not that Jim was avoiding Diana. In fact, he made a point not to do anything out of the ordinary as to not arise suspicion that his brain was constantly running about a mile a minute, trying to figure out an answer to the picture in her office. But luckily he had a legitimate reason to see her less over the next few days, that being assisting Spock. 

“So I never asked,” Jim asked Spock as he loaded some things into the back of a car. “Why Yosemite? Kind of random place for a wedding, Spock.”

“It is where Nyota and I first met,” said Spock, lifting another box as well. 

“But I thought you met when she was assigned to be your teaching assistant?” asked Jim. 

“No, that is when our time together was increased. There was a Cadet survival training mission a year prior she was attending and I was one of the supervisor’s for the course,” he said, adding, “I believe that is the last of the things needed for this car.”

“Spock, are you smiling?” Jim suddenly noticed the corners of his mouth were just barely turned up.

He turned to Jim and said, “Yes, Jim, I am. I am… happy.”

Jim leaned on the car, shaking his head. “Damn, Spock. So emotional.” He paused, and then took a more seditious tone. “But really, I know it was tough for you two for a while there, especially when Ambassador Spock died. I’ve been wanting to tell you,” he breathed in, “You are responsible to a fault and I'm glad that you’re doing something because it makes you happy, not just because you think you're supposed to. Because I think you're supposed to be happy.”

Spock nodded. “Thank you.” 

They were quiet for a little while. That was the way with them sometimes. Things were said in their silences together. 

Eventually Spock broke it and said, “Talk to Diana. I am not the only one of us who is supposed to be happy.”

 

Saturday came and Diana and Jim left for the wedding. On the way she asked him if everything was ok.

“You've been a little…” her voice trailed off, as of looking for the right descriptor. 

Just ask! Jim’s mind yelled. Use words! 

But he pushed that down, afraid of the answer he might get. 

“I'm fine, just a little distracted with everything,” he smiled. A memory of her saying she could tell when someone was lying played in the back of his mind. He suspected she knew he wasn't being completely honest, but she didn’t push it. 

It had occurred to him that all the pictures she owned were of people long lost to her. He couldn't help but wonder if whatever had landed himself in the 1900’s ended up killing him, and she was just looking at a man on borrowed time. 

Jim didn't deal with mortality. He didn't deal with death. Not with others and certainly not himself. Maybe it was better not to know and just be happy with whatever time he had left. Then again he might go insane from not knowing. Either way it was a decision he didn't want to make. 

 

There were about 100 people at the ceremony. There was a clearing set up with chairs and decorated with simple floating lights. The sky was as blue as it could be, and the smell of the trees and wild flowers wafted around as the occasional breeze came by. The chairs were all facing a large old tree, under which stood a Rabbi. People were walking around chatting with each other as they waited for the ceremony to begin. 

Sarek had come in from New Vulcan, and Diana rushed to say hello as soon as she saw him. It had been years, and Jim almost expected her to hug him, but she managed to restrain herself. 

Jim looked around at the other guests who were a quite the hodgepodge of people. The serious and subdued Vulcans contrasted with Uhura’s family who all were in traditional African clothing. 

“Well at least the booze is good,” said Bones, glass in hand, walking up to stand next to Jim who was still watching Diana talk to Sarek. “I'll have something to wash down all that weird Vulcan food with.”

Jim turned. “Where’d you get that?” he asked, nodding to the amber liquid. 

“You need to get drunk already?” Bones chuckled. “I take it someone hasn't asked their girlfriend why she has a mysterious picture of him.”

Jim shot him a look.

Bones just smirked and said, “Bar’s over there.” 

A few hundred feet away, tables, chairs, and a dance floor had been set up in preparation for the reception. Off to the side several waiters were preparing the food, while one stood behind a bar. Jim eyed the set up, and almost walked over, but then rethought that. He probably shouldn't be drinking right now. “Actually I should go find Spock. Or Uhura. Or her parents. Someone to tell me where to stand.”

Jim went off and did find Spock. He put everything else out of his mind for now. He was here to be supportive and he would deal with the rest of his life later. He kept clapping him on the back and spouting wedding day cliches with a grin. 

“Why would my feet be cold? It is approximately 20 degrees celcius, and I am wearing proper footwear.”

“Nothing, Spock. Nothing,” Jim laughed. 

 

The ceremony was as lovely as it could be. Spock wore his grandfather's suit, and Uhura glowed in a long lace dress. Jim stood by him, and Uhura’s older sister stood with her. The rabbi prayed and read from the Talmud and Torah. 

“Today we have not only two people who are coming together, but two different worlds. And so I read the words of Ruth. 

_Entreat me not to leave thee, Or to return from following after thee: For whither thou goest, I will go, And where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, And thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If ought but death part thee and me_.”

Jim glanced at Diana in the crowd, the words entreat me not to leave thee ringing in his head. But he just smiled at her, and she at him. 

Vows were exchanged, Spock saying his in Hebrew and Uhura doing hers in Swahili. With the smashing of a glass, and shouts of “Mazel tov!” The ceremony was over, and everyone stood up clapping and cheering. 

Jim tried to hide his happy tears as he hugged both of them, but quickly gave up when Uhura pulled him down and kissed him on the forehead.

“Come on, man, keep it together,” Bones said, his voice cracking as he and the rest of the crew approached them to offer their congratulations as well. 

“Oh please!” yelled Jim. “You're as bad as I am!” 

They all crowded the two of them, hugging and laughing. At one point Sulu’s daughter ran to Uhura an announced she was the prettiest person in the whole galaxy. Diana came over and embraced Uhura, and then put either of her hands on the side of her face and said something in a language Jim didn't recognize, but it made Uhura say, “Thank you!”

Eventually everyone stopped hovering, and all the guests slowly made their way to the reception. Regardless of complaints from McCoy, the food was very good, if a bit odd. Family and friends kept coming up to Spock and Uhura to congratulate them, the Vulcans with stiff Ta’al’s and humans with cries and lots of touching. 

Jim was mostly successful at pushing his other concerns out of the way, because his toast was funny and heartfelt. Different friends followed, including most of the Enterprise main crew. Scotty recited some old Scottish sayings, Checkov cried, Sulu was sincere, and even Bones made his way up to say that while he usually thought Spock made questionable decisions, this one he had no argument with. 

“Are you gunna tell your story?” Jim asked Diana. 

“No, that can be our secret,” she said with a small smile. 

He nodded, and kept trying to focus on Sarek, now speaking, instead of wondering what other secrets may be coming. But the elation of the moments before was dissipating and his mind began it's loud buzzing again. 

After dinner a band started playing and people began to move to the dance floor. 

Jim held out his hand to Diana after a while, and she followed him over.

The music was happy and a sweet smelling breeze drifted in the air. Glasses clinked, people laughed, and Spock and Uhura danced a few people over, looking slightly oblivious to the world. Diana looked like she could be the goddess of spring in her yellow sundress, and had his mind not been occupied, he may have wondered if she bore any resemblance to her sister Persephone.

But he could pay attention to none of it.

“I'm sorry!” he finally burst out. “I'm sorry but I have to ask, and I'm not trying to screw up time or anything here, so I guess I get it if you can't answer but I have to know,” he pleaded with her, “when am I going to end up in World War I?”

“What?” she asked, although something on her face told him it wasn't a completely ridiculous question. 

“I saw the picture in your office, Diana!” he admitted. “I was waiting for you the other day, and I saw the picture where we’re standing with a bunch of people I don't know in what I'm pretty sure is World War I.”

“Jim…” she started, but he kept talking. 

“I don’t remember taking that picture, so obviously I haven't done it yet, but why am I there? Is that you now, or is that you then?”

“Jim,” she said a little louder. 

“Does this mean that you’ve known me this whole time? Like way back at the Academy when I was being an ass in the back of your classroom, were you like, ‘Hey, that’s that guy I know from 1915!”

“It was taken in 1918, not 1915,” she said, and he stopped at that. He looked at her, trying to guess what she would say next. “And yes, that is what I thought when I saw you, more or less.”

“Diana,” he asked, “what’s going to happen to me?”

“I don’t know, Jim,” she breathed in, “because that’s not you,” 

“What? No, that’s definitely me,” he said, shaking his head. 

“It's really not, Jim,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “This is not how I planned on telling you this.” She took a deep breath and looked back at him. “You're not going to travel back to World War I. At least not to find me. That's not you in the picture. It’s a man named Steve Trevor.”

She looked around and saw an empty table on the outskirts. “Come sit down,” she gestured.

Jim’s mind still had not quieted. If anything he now had more questions. But he took her hand as she led him over to the table. 

They sat down, and Diana didn't say anything for a second. She reached up, lightly running her fingers through his hairline, as she did sometimes. 

Then she began. 

“I told you I left Themyscira to go find Aeres and end World War I?”

He nodded.

“Well, the reason I knew to leave, that the world was at war was because that man crashed into the water by the island. It was a complete accident, but he did. Steve was an American pilot who was working for British Intelligence, and something went wrong with his plane. I plucked him from the water and brought him back to the island. We had no contact with the outside world before that, and since I was born on the island, he was also the first man I ever met.”

Diana stopped, maybe to let him say something, but he had nothing. So she kept going. 

“He told us of the war and I followed him off the island. He brought me to London and took me to the front lines in Germany where I was convinced I would find Aeres. That picture you saw, it was taken in a village right after we had liberated it from military occupation.”

Jim swallowed. “And you're sure it's not me? That he didn't just say his name was Steve Trevor but really it was me cause I tripped into a wormhole or something.”

Her mouth twitched at this. “Yes, I'm sure.”

“How?” he asked. 

“Well, first of all you would have had to have left a while ago, because people there had known him for years. He was about your age when I met him. You're too old now.”

“Second thing?”

“I just know. You're just not him.” 

“Then why does he look like me?” Jim pressed. 

“Jim, I've wondered that for a long time, and I can give you no answer.”

They sat silently for a minute. 

“What happened to him?” he asked, breaking the silence. 

“He died, a day after that picture was taken,” she answered. 

Jim saw something in her face, or perhaps heard something in her voice that prompted the next question. 

“Were you in love with him?”

Diana was still, and then nodded. “Yes.”

“So, when you saw me back at the Academy…” His mind was reworking over the past ten years with this new filter. “Wait, when you saved me, the first time, was it because I looked like him?”

She closed her eyes and breathed in. “I cannot say that wasn't a factor.”

Jim almost couldn't get the next question out. “Am I… are you… trying to replace him?” 

“Hey!” she said in a firm but gentle tone, putting her hands on his face. “Listen to me, what is happening with us has nothing to do with that. You are you, and no one else to me. Jim, why do you think it took a whole year before anything happened with us?”

He became confused at that. “What?”

“Jim,” she said with a sigh, “I think we both know that there was something there pretty quickly.”

“Uh, no. I did not know this. I was pretty sure it was just me trying to stay professional and not read into things.”

Diana looked at him endearingly. 

“You're saying this is why you didn't say anything?” he asked, still somewhat confused. 

“Yes. I kept telling myself you deserved someone who didn't see anyone else when they looked at you. But then one day I didn't see anyone else when I looked at you.”

At this, the tight feeling in his chest began to dissipate. 

“You do this thing with your eyebrows when you're trying to figure something out, and you wrinkle your nose in a very particular way when you're confused. And Jim, you smile far too big for your face. It's this grin and it's almost blinding.”

The buzzing in his head grew a little quieter. 

“And you're funny and bored easily, and run everywhere, and you love things so very aggressively and lead people not by force but by simply being the kind of person someone would want to follow.” She smiled again. “You are very distinctly Jim Kirk, and no one else.”

Jim felt like he was properly breathing for the first time in days. 

“I promise, you're not a replacement.” She wove her fingers between his, and waited for him to say something. 

Finally he went with, “I am not bored that easily.”

At this she laughed, a bright sparkling one that made a smile return to his face. 

“Jim, if you had to sit still for more than a few weeks, you might die,” she said. 

They sat together for a few more minutes before returning to everyone else.

The rest of the evening passed without incident, and was just about as fun as a party could be with the entire Enterprise family in attendance. When the sun began to dip down, people began to say their goodbyes, and wish one last congratulations to the couple. 

Once everyone except Uhura’s immediate family, Sarek, and Bones had left, Jim and Diana decided to say goodnight, too. As they went around, something Bones had said crept back into his mind when Jim said goodbye to him. 

_She is literally an immortal greek god and you are a normal human! There is no way that ends well._

Jim glanced over at her, but tried to shake it off, but the buzzing in his head hadn't completely quieted from earlier. Looking at Bones, the noise turned into words. 

They didn't say much on the ride home, and when they got back to his apartment, she sensed something was still bothering him.

“Jim… look…” she started. “I don't want you to feel like you have another person to live up to. Really, you are just Jim to me, nobody else.”

“No, no, Diana,” he said, turning to her, “I believe you. I do. It's not that. It’s just… it occurred to me that best case scenario, this ends with me on that shelf.” 

Diana wrinkled her forehead at this.

“You're you, and I’m me, and there's no way this ends well,” he said, letting out a sigh. 

Her face suddenly looked hurt. “Is that what’s happening? This is not ending well?”

“God, no!” Jim shouted. He breathed. “No, no… I just mean, I am human. And I can try and be the best human I can be, but at the end of the day you,” he waved at her, “you are not. You will always be something else entirely, and it's amazing and wonderful, but it’s also endless and unknowable.”

Diana thought for a moment, and then pulled him over to the couch to sit. 

“In 1954, I got my first degree. It was in art history.” She began. 

They sat like that for hours, Jim just listening to her talk, trying to make herself known. Eventually she moved so she was lying down on his lap and he ran his fingers through her hair while she told him about the first time she had won a sword fight and the time she had slapped a sitting president. 

After a while her voice began to slow and her eyes droop. When she realized she would soon be asleep, she looked up at him and said, “I don't want to be a mystery to you. I love you, Jim.”

At this, he felt his body go warm from head to toe. He nodded at her with a small smile and said, “You know I love you too, right?”

Diana made a small noise that he assumed was a yes, and then fell asleep.

For a brief moment all was good and quiet, but miles and miles away, something brewed in the stars.


	23. Chapter 23

Spring turned into summer, and all of a sudden the streets of San Francisco were a little more empty with most of the cadets from The Academy gone for holiday. 

As they sat eating breakfast in her apartment one day, Diana listened to Jim try and decide if he was happy or not about this. 

“I mean, this means less lectures and more free time in my schedule,” he pointed out. 

“You don't want more free time,” Diana said, eating an omelet. “You want your next assignment.”

“Ugh,” groaned Jim. “Yes. I hate free time.”

Jim’s padd dinged with an incoming message. 

“Wallace wants a meeting,” he informed her, looking at his padd. “Probably to ask me 4,000 more schematic questions,” he mumbled, rolling his eyes. 

Diana’s padd dinged as well. She looked over. “What time is your meeting?”

“1300. Why?” he asked. 

“I think I'll be there, too,” she said. 

Jim glanced at her padd and said, “Maybe we're getting reprimanded for not filing a fraternization report with HR.”

“I don’t get reprimanded,” Diana said. 

“How far out to me do you think that expands?” he asked, smiling. 

“I wouldn't push it,” she smiled back. 

 

At five before one, they showed up to Wallace’s office. His secretary let them in, and a few minutes later the Admiral Showed up. 

“Captain!” he exclaimed, clapping Jim on the back. “Always good to see you. Likewise, Dr. Prince,” he added, shaking her hand. “Take a seat.”

“Well,” said Wallace, leaning forward and putting his hands together on the desk, “I have good news, Captain. We’ve got your next assignment.”

Jim’s face lit up. “Really, sir? That’s wonderful to hear.” He smiled, and then glanced over at Diana with a confused expression. She assumed he was wondering the same thing she was, which was why on earth was Diana here.

“Don’t get too excited. It's only temporary, but it is back on the Enterprise,” informed Wallace. 

Jim maintained a cool, professional exterior, but she knew on the inside he was grinning. He was getting his ship back. 

“Dr. Prince, as you may know, we’ve been seeing some promising developments with the Klingon Empire recently,” Wallace said.

“Yes, it's slow and small, but it’s more than I've seen in awhile,” she responded. 

“Well, something’s happened. They apparently have had an accident with one of their moon’s, a moon with a huge amount of their energy production. It's significantly weakened the empire. Chancellor Haybath has agreed, likely because of this, to finally enter talks for a permanent peace accord, potentially including disbanding the Neutral Zone.”

They were silent. This was huge news. Universe changing news. Something pricked at the back of her mind, but then it was gone. 

“Sir, that is incredible,” Jim finally said. “What is it that you need from the Enterprise?”

“Well, they won't come here and we won't go there, so we need to send some ships out to the Neutral Zone to start conducting these talks. We’ve looked over your reports, and while they may not be the flashy ones that everyone likes to remember, you and your crew hosted many diplomats and were quite good at negotiating. This is also why you’re here Dr. Prince,” Wallace said, looking to her. “The Federation of course wants one of their people, not just Kirk here, to lead the negations. We had someone else from the Federation that was going to go with them, some Klingon language specialist they were going to suggest to your Council on Escalation Deterrence, but then someone realized you had spent all that time on the Enterprise and suggested you were perhaps the better choice.”

She nodded, now understanding her presence here. “I also speak Klingon, though am technically not a specialist.”

“Perfect. Knew it was a good call. We still have several other names we would like your Council to look at and choose from to accompany you, but you and Kirk here will be leading.” He turned to Jim. “We don’t need to fully staff the Enterprise for this, but we would like you to select a full bridge crew obviously, and keep the rest at 30 percent. Can you give us that by the end of the week? We would like to have you getting out there as soon as possible. 

Jim nodded. “Yes, sir. I'll get that to you right away.”

“Excellent. Really, this is excellent,” Wallace said, standing up. “Good luck to both of you. We’re expecting great things. It's time to end this blasted thing.”

They stood up as well, shook his hand, and left. 

“I can't believe it!” Diana exclaimed. “I've been working on Klingon Border issues for years now. Constantly on the brink of war, and now we have a light at the end of the tunnel.” She turned to smile at Jim, but then stopped when she saw his face. It was neutral mostly, brow furrowed slightly. Not the reaction she was expecting when he heard that he was getting back the Enterprise. 

“What’s wrong? You got your assignment! And on the Enterprise no less.” The two of them began walking down the hall. 

“Yeah, I guess,” he said. “I'll go where they need me.”

Diana grabbed his arm.

“I just,” he began, “am nervous about Klingons. Avoiding war is one thing, but abolishing the Neutral Zone? So what, we just have them flying around Federation space?”

“Jim,” she tried to assure him, “this is good. It could completely change the galaxy. And who knows, maybe interacting with the Federation more will create a Klingon Empire less inclined to war.”

“I didn't realize we were supposed to be their moral compass,” he said.

She stopped walking at that. He turned around realizing she wasn't with him anymore. His face softened when he looked at her. 

“I'm sorry, I know. It's good. I just have to try and forget that I've thought of them as the enemy for… my whole life.” He forced out a smile and took a few steps to her. “I’ll be fine.”

Diana nodded. “Ok. Well, I need to go meet with the council for those names and you should probably find Spock to help you pick the crew.”

“Dinner?” he asked. “Eight?”

“Of course,” she said, brushing her fingers along his hairline. “I'll see you then.”

 

“Approaching the Neutral Zone, sir,” announced Sulu. 

It was ten days after the meeting with Wallace. They had worked tirelessly around the clock to get everything prepared, contact the requested crew, and make sure the ship was ready. They had left two days before, and now their task was beginning. 

“Thank you Mr. Sulu,” said Kirk. 

Diana stood next to his chair, and two other Federation Ambassadors were in the bridge as well. As the Enterprise approached the meeting point, the prick at the back of her mind popped up again. This confused her. She looked over at Jim, the only other person to have caused this feeling, but nothing came. It was only as she looked ahead to the border. 

But nagging feeling she didn't understand would have to wait, because the other ship was arriving. It was a massive menacing vessel, almost twice the size of the Enterprise. 

“Hailing frequencies on, captain,” said Uhura. 

“Alright, let's start this,” Kirk said, sounding less than enthused. 

The screen changed to reveal a menacing looking Klingon, flanked by two others. 

“I am Gendan of the Klingon High Council. We represent Chancellor Haybath.”

Kirk responded. “My name is James T. Kirk, Captain of the Enterprise. This is Diana Prince. We represent the Federation and are prepared to negotiate a permanent peace treaty on their behalf.”

“Yes,” said Gendan in a low voice. “We shall endeavor for the same.”

Diana stepped forward and began.

 

In the first week, they were able to agree on barely anything. They finally came to the first and most basic part, which was the Neutral Zone would be abolished, as well as all outposts along it, meaning either side could cross into the other. 

The second week came with more aggression, underhanded comments, and finally the decision that both sides promised not to take any aggressive action against the other if they were to cross paths. 

“Zis is taking forever!” said Chekov. “Two veeks and all we have managed to do is agree to not kill each other.”

They were all sitting in the conference room. 

“That is more than we’ve been able to do for years,” assured Diana. “Progress may feel slow, but we must keep trying.”

“We need to talk about border territories and planets. There are several planets that both sides have claim to, and there’s no way we can dissolve the Neutral Zone without addressing which ones go to which side,” said one of the Federation representatives called Ambassador Hadl.

“Also, is this the beginning of an allegiance? How are we factoring in the Romulan Empire to this?” interjected Kirk. “Neither side has a peace treaty with them, and we need to decide whether or not we are responsible for assisting the other in the case of an attack.”

“We seem to be able to only focus on one thing at a time, so we should work on the dividing the territories first, and once we have that decided, we will address our responsibilities to each other,” Diana said, outlining a rough schedule in front of her. “After that we need to discuss trade and currency exchange as the Federation doesn't use money.”

 

It took another two weeks to decide on the division of the Klingon border, and three to make a very, very, loose agreement on mutual protection. The economic discussions were the shortest, at only 4 days. 

The discussions seemed to be nearing a close. 

“Alright,” said Diana. “There are only a few addendum left to go over on the Accords. We've included a provision for Klingons who wish to apply to Starfleet-”

“Bah!” laughed Gendan. “A Klingon! In Starfleet? None would ever even wish to apply.”

“Then I'm sure it will a short review,” Bones said, annoyed. The two of them exchanged a small smile. She was exhausted and the prick at the back of her head had been getting worse. It was now a tug, almost all the time. It was frustrating her to no end as she had no idea what was causing it or how to get it to stop. 

“Please turn to Section H in your treaties,” she asked, and everyone looked down. While there was silence for a moment, Diana rubbed her eyes. She looked up for a moment at the screen, and in the corner, where the stars were still visible behind Gendan’s face, she saw a shimmer of light, and then appeared a Bird of Prey.

Her eyes grew wide, and her hand shot out and grabbed Jim’s arm. 

“Wha-” he started, looking up at her. But he saw the look of panic in her eyes and turned to see what she was looking at. 

“SHIELDS NOW!” screamed Jim into the intercom on his chair. But it was too late. The Bird of Prey was firing on both ships. With a loud CRASH the entire bridge shook as they took the first hit. The screen fizzled and the Klingons on it disappeared. 

“Sulu!” Kirk yelled, “Get us moving!”

“The warp drive is out!” called Sulu. “They must have targeted our warp engines.”

“Battle Stations! Red alert!” yelled Kirk, standing up. “Chekov, start firing torpedos now! Scotty!” he yelled back into the intercom, “Do we have power to the shields?”

“Yes, sir!” he called back. “They should be up in 15 seconds!”

“Uhura, try getting them back!” Kirk yelled. The ship took another blow, and it rocked them all, some people falling out of their chairs. Diana gripped the back of the captain's chair. Smoke was beginning to fill the room, making it hard to see.

“I’ll try sir, but they seem to be under attack as well!” she called back. 

Two more hits came. 

“Somezing is wrong with ze weapons!” Chekov jumped up from his post to go do something at one of the other stations. Diana quickly took his place.

Sulu looked over at her. “Of course you can navigate a starship,” he said, shaking his head. 

Diana did all she could to assist Sulu as he tried to pilot the ship. The warp drive was still out, but the Enterprise was still fast. 

“If it’s attacking both of us, start flying away!” commanded Kirk. “It can't shoot at both of us. 

This ended up being true, but the 50/50 odds that they wouldn't be the ones followed were not in their favor. The Bird of Prey zoomed after them, continuing to fire. 

“Sir, I can't keep taking all these hits!” yelled Scotty. “The shields won't hold.”

“Ze weapons are jammed, sir, but I have an idea!” Chekov called.

“What is it?!” Kirk asked. 

“Ve run into it!”

For a second everyone was quiet as they looked at him. 

“Ve have no vepons!” he pressed. “But ve are much bigger!”

Jim looked at Diana. She saw no other option immediately available to them, so she nodded. 

“Scotty, how much power to the shield do we have left?” asked Kirk.

“Abou 50 percent!” he called back. 

Jim was doing the math in his head, she could tell, on what kind of damages that would look like.

Another hit rocked the ship.

“Make that 45!” called Scotty. 

Sulu turned around. “I can do what you need at 80 percent. Tell him to divert impulse power.”

“Scotty, divert 20 percent of impulse power, and then brace for impact!” Kirk warned him, and then did the same again into the shipwide intercom. “Alright, Mr. Sulu, do it.”

With an abrupt turn, Sulu changed the ship from being the chasee to the chaser. He punched the engines, and with all the might of the Enterprise, rammed into the Bird of Prey. 

The crash was thunderous, and knocked nearly all of them out of their seat. Some of the bridge started to collapse and a few fires popped up. 

Diana could hear coughing in the smoke. She had managed to stay in her chair, just barley, although there were light divots in the screen in front of her where she had gripped the edges. 

She turned around and looked at Jim, who was pushing himself off the ground. He looked at her first. “Everyone ok?” Kirk called. There was a mixture of groans. “Spock, are they still there?”

“Negative. The impact seemed to have destroyed them,” he answered, lifting himself and straightening his uniform. 

Diana saw Jim breathe and make the face he did before he went down the checklist.

“Scotty, damage report!” he said into the intercom. The smoke still was thick in the air, and he coughed as he asked. 

“Bad news! It took out one of the engines and a few decks, but the upside is since we’re only at 30 percent, I don think anyone was there.”

“Fantastic,” Jim said. “Uhura, any word?” 

“Yes, sir. They say they suspect it was a terrorist who objected to the Accords. Diana couldn't see Uhura through the smoke, but she could hear her. 

“Sulu, your gunna need to get us somewhere on half an engine,” Kirk said. “Bones, go make sure there really weren't any people on those decks.”

There was a “Yes, sir,” and, “Sure, Jim.”

“Captain, I'm gunna need help down here!” said Scotty. 

“Chekov, go down to engineering,” ordered Jim. 

There was no reply. 

“Chekov?”

Still nothing. The smoke began to clear and they looked over to where he had been standing. He wasn't there. He was on the ground.

Jim flew out of his chair, and Bones and Diana moved as well a split second later. 

He grabbed his body, which had a deep gash on the side, a piece of of fallen metal having cut him.

Chekov wasn't blinking, and there was no rise and fall to his chest. Bones knelt beside Jim who was gripping him, and muttering, “No, no, no.” The Doctor checked him and then looked at Jim, and shook his head. 

The bridge was silent. Diana could feel tears falling from her eyes as her hand covered her mouth. Suddenly, Jim was looking up at her. 

“BRING HIM BACK!” he screamed, eyes pleading with desperation and grief.

“Jim…” she said through tears, her heart breaking. “I can’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say, I hope that no one takes this as being disrespectful to Anton's passing. This was compleatly a plot driven choice, but still, I'll miss him and always love what he brought to Chekov's character.


	24. Chapter 24

It was grey with a low wind sweeping through St. Petersburg. Jim sat next to the river, watching it flow by as he thought about his meeting with Natasha Chekov.

When he had showed up to her door, she looked pleased, if not a little confused. She had looked around for Diana, to which he told her that she was in San Francisco.

It had dawned on her then why Jim was there. 

_I’m sorry to tell you, ma'am, but your son has died in action._

She had sunk onto the floor, curled in the doorway, holding her head in her hands with a look of complete shock. 

Jim had knelt down next to her and she looked at him.

_He said it was a diplomatic mission. ___

_It was. We were attacked._

Full realization seemed to hit her and she let out a heart wrenching scream, sobbing into her legs. He had tried to comfort her, but what was there to say to a grieving mother?

__The river was quiet. For some reason, not that many people were out and about that day. Jim had only seen two pass him by._ _

__Chekov’s body would be here in a two days, along with the rest of the crew for his funeral. There was a lot of work to take care of back at Headquarters, honestly, work he should have been doing, but Diana had assured him that she could handle it._ _

_Unless you want me to come with you?_

_No, no, somebody needs to deal with this._

__He closed his eyes, wishing she could be in two places at once. Could she? Probably not. Back on the bridge, he had desperately looked to her, hoping that somehow she could fix it. She had fixed him all those years ago, after all. Had he been thinking clearly he would have seen the situations were different, but he wasn't. His mind had been panicked._ _

__Did Chekov play along this river when he was a child, he wondered. Maybe making boats and watching them float away?_ _

__What was he thinking? Chekov was still a child. He was barely 25._ _

__Jim had always felt a little protective of him because of his age. Chekov was the youngest member of the crew, and he had never gotten enough praise for being 17 when he first started. Flack? Sure, but for some reason it was Jim who everyone fussed over being, “the youngest captain ever!”_ _

__Other than one stepsister that he hadn’t ever kept in contact with, Jim had no siblings. But he’d be lying if said he had never felt a little like an older brother to Chekov._ _

__Weren't older brothers supposed to keep the younger ones safe?_ _

__Jim didn't move from the river until the sun went down._ _

__

__“What the hell happened out there!” yelled Wallace at Diana and Spock._ _

__They were in his office, trying to deal with the fallout of the attack while Jim was in Russia._ _

__“Sir, a rogue Kilogon terrorist, apparently opposed to the Accords, opened fire on the Enterprise and the other Klingon vessel,” informed Spock._ _

__Wallace leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin. “Damn Klingons. I kept trying to tell myself, ‘This is good! Treaties are good!’ Bah!” he exclaimed, throwing up his hands._ _

__“Admiral Wallace,” Diana began, “I don’t believe we should stop the work on the Accords because of this attack. We were so close, maybe a day away from getting the needed signatures.”_ _

__“They shot at us!” he yelled._ _

__“No,” Spock asserted, “a terrorist committed a lone act of aggression. Abandoning weeks, even years of work over this incident would be illogical.”_ _

__“Really? You're convinced this terrorist acted alone?” questioned Wallace._ _

__“They did open fire on both ships,” pointed out Diana._ _

__“Yes, but it looks like ours was the one to take the heavy fire!” he responded._ _

__“Wallace, what are the better options here?” Diana said. “Even if you think this ship wasn't alone, we cannot go to war over this!”_ _

__“Why not!” He demanded. “We were being reasonable when they said they wanted this, even though we knew they were in a vulnerable position.”_ _

__“Your suggestion is we stop being reasonable?” asked Spock._ _

__“No, my suggestion is we start thinking like they would. If the Federation was weakened, they wouldn't think twice about attacking,” he shot back._ _

__“A weakened Klingon Empire is still the Klingon Empire!” said Diana, her voice getting louder. “We still cannot be guaranteed that they wouldn't win, and regardless of outcome, we would be condemning millions of people to die!”_ _

__“Dr. Prince, no offense,” he began in a patronizing tone, “but you are the Chair of the Council on Escalation Deterrence. You are biased here from avoiding battle. You simply do not have the practical combat experience to see this from a military perspective.”_ _

__The pull in the back of her mind returned as he said this, but her anger at his assertion masked most of it._ _

__“Sir, I agree with Dr. Prince. Engaging them in war would be unwise,” said Spock._ _

__Wallace looked at him. “Fine then, but who says we need to sign this peace deal? We could just keep the status quo.”_ _

__“The status quo is a constant threat of war hanging over our heads,” Diana pointed out. “We will end up right back here, or our children will, if we don’t resolve this.”_ _

__Wallace paused for a second, thinking._ _

__“Perhaps,” suggested Spock, “you can reach out to them and see if they would be willing to meet here instead of a Federation vessel returning so close to the Neutral Zone.”_ _

__Diana nodded. “Yes. It was a Klingon who attacked, and as you pointed out, they may need this more than we do, so asking for some concession is fair.”_ _

__“Do you think they would come?” Wallace asked._ _

__“It’s worth asking,” Diana said._ _

__He thought some more and then said, “The President of the Federation is coming in from Paris tomorrow. I will suggest this to him.”_ _

__“Thank you, sir,” said Spock._ _

__Diana stood up and Spock followed her lead._ _

__“If that’s all, we need to be getting ready to leave. We have to take Pavel Chekov’s body to his mother,” said Diana._ _

__Wallace nodded somberly. “Express my condolences, and please make sure the boy has a proper Starfleet send off.”_ _

__“We will,” said Diana._ _

__

__It was sunny the day of the funeral. A small crowd of people gathered in the cemetery as two Starfleet officers and Chekov’s two brothers carried his casket._ _

__Diana stood next to Jim, her hand in his, his thumb absentmindedly moving back and forth. Uhura was on her other side, silently crying. Spock stood next to her, unmoving. Bones kept sighing, as if this would somehow stop himself from getting emotional. Sulu was assisting Natasha until her other sons could come and stand with her._ _

__Scotty played the bagpipes. He had chosen Amazing Grace._ _

__Diana had been to her fair share of funerals, and heard this song many times before. She didn't know why, but of all the times she had watched this scene play out, the memory of the first time she went to Clark’s kept coming to mind._ _

__She remembered standing back, watching, Lois tossing dirt on his grave, convinced she'd never see him again. And, she remembered the words she had said to Bruce as she looked on._ _

_Man made a world where standing together is impossible._

__It was an especially cynical statement for her, and not one she particularly stuck by. In fact she had lived her life pushing for the opposite, but it did not change that she still felt that way sometimes._ _

__It was taking all of her will power, but she made sure that now wasn't one of them. There was too much at stake to not be hopeful that standing together was indeed something in their reach, even with as difficult a people as the Klingon Empire. A race that nearly worshiped at the feet of war was not something she wanted any part of, but she could not believe that they could never be different. After all, didn’t Vulcans once burn with fiery passion and aggression? This one attack could not be allowed to derail them._ _

__One of Chekov’s aunt’s was conducting the funeral. It was all in Russian, and Diana whispered to Jim, “Do you want me to translate?”_ _

__He shook his head. “Doesn't matter, does it?”_ _

__

__People moved about in a muted way back at Chekov’s aunt’s home. Some old friends sat around talking about the crazy hijinx he would get up to at school. Apparently once, when he was nine, he tried to make not a potato clock, but rather an entire potato generator. This had somehow ended up causing an explosion in the east wing of their school. They had found him with his eyebrows singed off, but excitedly saying that he knew what went wrong and he could fix it, if he could just have another 100 potatoes. They said no._ _

__Other stories like this were exchanged, especially between the crew and family members who knew him at different points. They were all doing this, except Jim, and oddly, Uhura who was sitting in a corner listening to something on her padd._ _

__Diana found Jim looking at old photos. She brought him a glass of vodka, which he thanked her for and took, but didn't touch._ _

__“Barely looks any different,” Jim said, nodding to a picture of him graduating college at 13._ _

__“Ceyptin,” said a voice. It was Natasha. Jim and Diana turned around. “I wanted to zank you for coming to me, instead of sending some of zose officers,” she said, waving her hand at the two men from the grave yard. “I don't know zem.” Her eyes watered. “And sank you for staying vit me.”_ _

__Jim’s face was tense, clearly uncomfortable with receiving this thanks. Knowing him, he was likely filled with guilt and partially blamed himself for losing this woman's son, however illogical that may be. Her thanks was not something Diana suspect he thought he deserved._ _

__“Of course,” he said, graciously. “It’s really the least I could do. And if there's anything else any of us can do, please tell us.” He paused, breathed in, and said while holding back emotion, “He was our family, and that means so are you. We are all here for whatever you want or need.”_ _

__Natasha put out her arms and waved him down, hugging his neck and kissing his cheek. “You are a good man,” she insisted, and then turned to Diana. She hugged her as well, and said, “ _Thank you,_ ” in Russian. She turned and left._ _

__“She not wrong,” said Diana, after Natasha was gone._ _

__“Yes, she is,” he said quietly. “But I'm not going to push my emotional baggage onto a grieving mother.”_ _

__She had suspected this may have been why he hadn't argued with her. Funnily enough, this action really only supported Natasha’s assertion, however Diana decided to point this out to him later, when he had time to process. For now she simply said, “This is not your fault. I know you know that, but I promise you will feel it one day, too.”_ _

__“Thank you,” he said, his mouth attempting to turn upward._ _

__“Jim.” Uhura had come over, her voice a low and urgent whisper. “Diana, I need to talk to you right now.”_ _

__“What?” they both asked, confused at her tone._ _

__“So,” she looked around, looking a slight bit guilty, “I may have been monitoring some secure Klingon frequencies for the past few weeks that we aren’t supposed to be listening to.”_ _

__“That's not exactly something you just stumble onto, Uhura,” said Jim._ _

__“Yeah, well, it's funny you say that because initially I did,” she whispered, moving in with her padd. “We were about three weeks into the negotiations when I noticed a new line on my screen that hadn't been secured properly. It was likely a computer error, because it was closed again the next day, but I,” she looked around, “managed to keep it open. I suspected what has happened so I put a trace on the line that let me keep listening. I recorded it because I didn't have time to pay attention to the negotiations and this at the same time, so I would go back at the end of the day and listen to each of them.”_ _

__“Why didn't you tell us sooner?” asked Diana._ _

__“Well, I knew if what I was doing got out, it could seriously damage relations, and I didn't want to jeopardize the treaty, so I just kept it to myself to be on the safe side. I figured that if nothing important came along, then no one needs to know about it.”_ _

__“I take it something important has come along,” said Jim, keeping his voice low._ _

__Uhura nodded, tapping some buttons on her padd, and then looking around again to make sure no one was in earshot. An audio file started playing. Different voices were all speaking in Klingon to each other._ _

__“These are the voices of the council members discussing various topics,” she informed, “all of which they probably wouldn't want us to know, like where they have training camps, weapon capacity, trades they need for arming themselves, things like that. It’s all very sensitive because from this we can gauge an accurate estimate of what the Klingon Empire’s military strength looks like. That's what they were talking about for most of the time I was listening. But then about a week ago, everything changed. They started speaking in an old obscure dialect that I don’t just know off the top of my head.”_ _

__“Had they figured out you were listening?” asked Diana._ _

__“I really don’t think so,” she responded. “There was a new voice on the recordings that I didn't recognize when they switched. I think they might have switched because that’s what he was speaking.”_ _

__Diana looked over at Natasha, remembering her insisting on only having Russian spoken in her home._ _

__“What dialect is it?” asked Diana._ _

__“Is that really the most pressing question right now?” asked Jim._ _

__Uhura nodded, “Yeah, actually it factors in. I knew you’d ask that,” she said, shooting Diana a small smile. “It's one that was spoken by particularly violent warriors, especially before they would go into battle, but it’s nothing that anyone now would grow up speaking. I knew that it couldn't be that this new person only spoke this, so I figured that it was an honor thing, maybe someone who thinks this is the better tongue. If they thought that then…”_ _

__“Than they probably believed in what it symbolized. Meaning they could be a threat,” Diana finished._ _

__“Exactly what I thought. If it were anything else, I would have just let it be, but because he was using this particular dialect, I've been working around the clock trying to figure out translation software for it. I just got it last night, and it’s not good,” she said, her face dire._ _

__“Why…” said Jim, a deep worry in his voice._ _

__“Listen to what I just finished with.”_ _

They leaned in to listen to her padd, which played the now translated file. 

_“You cannot sign these Accords! The Empire does not need the Federation.”_ A raspy voice came out of the speakers. 

_“Manakr, I understand your thirst for glory, but we cannot keep living in this confined space. The Neutral Zone is strangling us,”_ said a deep voice in response. 

____

____

_“Then bring war upon them!”_ responded the one called Manakr. 

_“To what purpose?”_ came the voice of a woman. _“To what end? Do you suggest we expand The Empire indefinitely? We do not have the power to control that.”_

_“And we could never achieve that now. We are too unprepared,”_ said the deep voice. 

_“The Federation has always been weak. We may have lost much with that moon, but I will show you we can still conquer!”_ insisted Manakr. 

_“What are you suggesting?”_ came a new voice. 

__Uhura pointed at the padd. “That's Chancellor Haybath.”_ _

_“This flagship of theirs, the Enterprise, I will show you. I will send my best men to attack both it, and our own, and you will see who can stand the fire of a Bird of Prey.”_

_“That is just one ship! Chancellor, this cannot show long term battle possibilities,”_ said the woman. 

_“Perhaps it can…”_ mused the deep voice. _“Perhaps we need a war to revitalize the Empire.”_

_“War is... obsolete. As we are in danger of becoming. We need the Accords,”_ insisted the woman. 

_“We need nothing!”_ shouted Haybath. 

_“We will discuss this without you,”_ said the deep voice. _“Do nothing until ordered.”_

There was a crackle, as if someone had left the conversation. 

_“This is not a wise decision, sir,”_ said the woman. 

_“I disagree. Chancellor, this may be a wise decision on a variety of fronts,”_ came the deep voice. _“I know you were concerned that the Federation is too weak to be any kind of ally with our Empire. Even now, they speak of preparations against the Romulan Empire, but if they are as we suspect, they will not be bring the same level of might to battle. They must be tested.”_

_“We can discuss this issue with them,”_ said the woman. 

_“They may lie,”_ responded the deep voice. 

_“I shall not order Haybath to send anyone,”_ said the chancellor. 

_“But-”_ started the deep voice. 

_“But, as he will likely go anyways, I shall not stop him either,”_ interrupted the chancellor. _“Let us see their power.”_

__The recording stopped. Diana looked at Jim, who was almost shaking with anger._ _

__“They knew,” he said, voice deep, and fists clenched. “They knew.”_ _


	25. Chapter 25

Uhura, Diana and Jim sat in a conference room with the Federation President, main Council, and Admiral Wallace. They had just played them the recording Uhura had uncovered. 

“Thank you, Lieutenant. You may go,” said Wallace. Uhura stood up and gave Jim and Diana a look, and then left the room.

“Well this changes everything,” said one of the council members named Manta.

“Does it?” asked President Thompson. He was an older man with a beard and glasses.

“What do you mean, does it?” asked another named Tamnd. “We can't sign anything with them now!”

“But,” interjected Daxr, “they have agreed to come here. They are already on their way.”

“So?!” yelled Jim. “I'm sorry sir, but I agree with, Tamnd. To even consider engaging with the Klingons, after they’ve done this-”

“Captain,” interrupted President Thompson, “I'm sorry but perhaps it would be better if you wait in the hall, as you are neither a council member or a Senior Starfleet Officer.”

This appeared to enrage him. He looked at Diana, and she glanced back at him, but before anything else was said, he turned and left the room. Part of her was glad he did. She too was still grieving from the loss of Chekov, but Jim’s judgement seemed to be clouded and she worried that a desire for vengeance was creeping into his choices. And as he has said to her at the outset, this wasn't going to be easy for him considering he, like most, flatly considered all Klingons to be the enemy. Now adding this new personal attack couldn't be helping that. 

“Daxr,” resumed Tamnd, “why exactly does it matter that they are coming?” 

“It means that they are still invested and interested in the Accords,” responded Daxr.

“I don’t care!” Tamnd yelled. “We shouldn't be interested! Who attacks someone that you are negotiating with?”

“We were supposed to be doing them a favor,” said Wallace. “They needed this because of the loss of their moon and the production on it.”

Another woman by the name of Martinez pointed out, “Yes, but these tapes also reveal that they haven’t been completely obliterated. They still have the resources for an all out war, if slightly less than they would like.”

“I agree that we should still be speaking with them,” said Diana. “It’s clear to me that there is a division within their council, and Chancellor Haybath could be swayed.”

“From what?” asked President Thompson. “Manakr’s influence? I highly doubt it. Manakr was Haybath’s mentor for years and a close friend of his father.”

“If anything, that supports my point,” said Diana. “He didn’t immediately agree with Manakr, and listened to other people’s voices. There could be something that could sway him.”

The pull was back as she said this, suddenly, and stronger. _What is happening?_ she thought. But the pull had moved to her gut as well now. It rooted her, somehow.

“So, you’re sure we should proceed?” asked President Thompson.

The room looked to her and she said, “Yes. I’m sure.” She was, deeply. It wasn't just what she believed, but it was almost as if the strange pull she couldn't shake agreed with her. “We have to address this, obviously, and I am in no way saying we just let it go, but we cannot burden our citizens with this threat any longer.”

The President looked at her, nodded, and said, “I agree. Is the Council in favor?”

There were sounds of agreement, though some were more mutters than definitive yeses. They all got up and began filing out of the room. 

Diana walked around, looking for Jim until she found him leaning against a wall, tapping his foot.

“How did it go?” he asked as soon as he saw her. “Did you convince them to stop the Accords?”

“No,” she said. “We’re still meeting with them when they get here.”

“What!?” yelled Jim. “I can't believe it! Why are they so… ahhh! Why wouldn’t they listen to you?”

“They did,” she said, bracing herself. 

“What?” he looked confused. 

“I convinced them that we need to maintain work on the Accords,” she informed him. 

“You did what?” he demanded. 

“I will not advocate for people to be killed when there is still a possibility for peace,” she said, trying to make him understand. “And I do not believe that this incident is reflective of the entire council, let alone the entire Empire. They are not all the same. They can't be.”

Jim had outgrown much of the fury of his youth. Leadership and time had calmed him. But some of it was still there. He was spectacularly human, and while often that was a bright and good thing, weeks of kindling had been building up. Now, the lies and sorrow became the perfect cocktail to spark that old flame of anger. 

“I cannot believe you are doing this!” he yelled. “What on earth is wrong with you Diana!?”

Diana, on the other hand, has been raised in patience, by a mother who had taught her the wisdom of being slow to anger. The Amazons were created to persuade men's hearts toward good, always with gentleness first. 

“You've seen them for years! You know they’re not going to change.” Jim bubbled with fury. 

Diana breathed in as he continued yelling. She knew that humans responded to grief in complicated ways. She tried to remember her mother. She tried to be patient. 

“I mean, do you not care that he’s dead?” Jim kept going. “Does what they did mean nothing to you?”

But Diana was not just her mother’s daughter. Zeus had left a red hot streak of his wrath in her. And Jim kept yelling. And raging. And burning. She stood resolute, trying not to respond, but every little bit chinked away at that resolve. Finally, he threw at her,

“But this is all fine for you, because really what do you care if everything goes wrong? You can just go disappear again. Wait it out until something better comes along, and then just get on board with that! Well, I'm sorry Diana, but some of us actually have to live with what happens!”

Something inside of her snapped. She had been focused at a spot on the wall behind him, but at this, she slowly turned her head to look him dead in the eye. She took one step forward with such a look on her face that Jim took one back from her. 

“You,” she said, her voice deep, steady, and full of rage, “are a child. You have no concept of what kind of compromise it takes to create a stable galaxy so that people like you,” she said, pointing at him, “can go flying around from planet to planet. You refuse to deal with anything difficult. You won't even look at it. Everything needs to be fun and an adventure and Gods help you if you have to confront reality.” 

Her voice grew a little louder. 

“You think that you understand sacrifice, but the truth is you have romanticized your father’s death so much that you will only accept something like what he did as acceptable. But sacrifice is not just grand gestures and big moments of nobility. It is showing up to things you don't want to be at. It it dealing with people you don’t want to talk to. This! This is sacrifice, Jim. It is putting aside your own feelings and always serving the greater good. Compromise is sacrifice.”

“Is that what you tell yourself?” he glared down at her. “As you abandon any shred of principles you hold for a piece of paper? Is that how you’ve lived all these years?”

“I,” she said, through almost gritted teeth, “do not explain myself or what I choose do to anyone. You,” she shot at him, “are no exception.”

They were silent for a moment. Jim finally broke the tension by saying, “You're right. You don't answer to anyone. Do what you want, Diana. But I'm not going to be a part of this.”

With that he walked away. 

 

Diana collapsed onto her couch. It was the next day and the Klingon’s were set to arrive in the morning and she had been dealing with preparations all day. She was exhausted. She had been exhausted for weeks. She was desperately trying to understand what this feeling that kept cropping up meant. She rubbed her eyes, remembering the first time she had felt it. It was what, a decade ago? That day she has first seen Jim, or Cadet Kirk to her then. Little did she know back then the anger she felt from him sleeping and looking like Steve was nothing compared to how mad at him she was now. 

Seriously, what did he want? To just stop all treaties with people who may have wronged someone in the Federation at one point? And where the hell did he get off telling her that she had no principals when he was standing very close to the position of going to war over a personal vendetta? She cared about Chekov too but he wasn't going to become Archduke Franz Ferdinand. 

And implying that somehow the fact that she would always survive made her less… She stopped herself. This wasn't a rabbit hole she was going to fall down right now. She was trying to figure out what to do about an intergalactic crisis and why she had felt that tugging at her brain so definitely as of late. 

She thought back to the first conversation she had with T’Aleh on the matter. 

_“It's just… it like there's something there…”_

_“Likely a genetic coincidence.” T’Aleh offered._

_“I already thought of that. And maybe your right. But… it just feels like too big of a coincidence. I told you, I stopped believing in destiny and fate a long time ago, but what are the odds of him even existing, let alone sitting in the back of my class?”_

_T’Aleh nodded in agreement. “I will admit the probability is miniscule.”_

But she hadn't felt any tug around Jim in a long time… not since… not since she had agreed to stay on the Enterprise. 

_“The Federation of course wants one of their people, not just Kirk here, to lead the negations. We had someone else from the Federation that was going to go with them, some Klingon language specialist they were going to suggest to your Council on Escalation Deterrence, but then someone realized you had spent all that time on the Enterprise and suggested you were perhaps the better choice.”_

Her head hurt. She felt overwhelmed, like the universe was crushing her. What did it want? What was she supposed to do? She would willingly be it’s Atlas but she didn't know what to lift.

And she was angry. She was angry at the Klingons and especially Manakr. They didn’t get to just get away with what they did, but she didn’t know how to find any justice in the situation without putting innocent lives at risk. 

And last of all, she felt alone. She hadn’t felt this alone since she had killed Apollo. Sitting by his grave, looking at the words she had carved, Last of the Olympians. But then she remembered the only thing that had made that awful moment better. Diana remembered Jim walking over and digging that grave right along side her, and then just sitting next to her for what felt like hours. He didn't even know her then. 

Diana got back up from the couch. 

 

Jim was walking home. He had needed to file a bunch of paperwork that he missed when he had gone to Russia and had gone into his office. He still hadn’t tried to talk to Diana, though he may have wandered over a few buildings to see if she was in her office on his way back. 

She wasn't. 

Good. He didn't want to talk anyways. 

Damn it, what the hell was she doing, trying to ally the Federation with a bunch of warmongering sociopaths? Possibly avoid large scale casualties. Possibly. 

Ugh. His rational mind was kicking in and he didn't want to acknowledge that she may have a point. The words, You are a child and Everything needs to be fun and an adventure and Gods help you if you have to confront reality were burned into him. He didn't even want to think about his father. 

Obviously she had zero good points. Or maybe they were all good points. 

He walked up to his apartment door and when he looked up, was surprised to see Diana there, leaning by the door. 

He stopped in his tracks. She raised an eyebrow at him. 

After a second he walked over to her. 

“Look,” he started. Obviously part of him was still angry and raw, but he was trying to breathe and recognize that even if he disagreed with her, completely flying off the handle had been unnecessary. He was pretty mad about what she had said to him, however he knew he had started it, so he was going to be an adult and finish it. “I know-”

Jim stopped when he saw her shaking her head. “I don't want to do this now. In the morning, but not now.” She looked up at him with eyes that appeared absolutely exhausted. For a moment her age showed in them, and a pang of guilt shot through him to think he had added to any of that.

Diana looked away, and then back, but not up at him, exactly. Just forward at his jaw. In his whole time of knowing her, he didn't think he had ever seen her look this vulnerable. Well, she never looked venerable. She moved closer so there was barely an inch between them. One of her hands reached for his shirt, and she lightly grabbed it and then pulled at it more into her fist. 

He looked down, trying to catch her eye. Jim was pretty sure what she was asking, but wanted to be certain part of him wasn't just projecting. After a moment she did look at him, and nodded, ever so slightly. 

He reached up and brushed her hair back, then leaning in to kiss her forehead. He opened the door to his apartment. 

Diana was a force of nature, marvelous to behold, dangerous to defy, and absolutely never to be loved in pieces. She was her rage as much as she was her compassion. Her grief as much as her joy. 

Jim understood this. He loved her with his eyes open as much as he could, because while she may be deity, she was not to be put on a pedestal. 

So, for now, he put away his own anger because she needed him to. It would be there in the morning. Right now, he kissed her gently and tried to carry at least some of the weight on her shoulders. 

 

_Diana stood in a cave that reminded her of home. The water even glowed in the same strange fashion._

_Back at work someone had brought in ancient scrolls with paintings the Louvre was adding to it’s exhibit. The words beneath them spoke of The Oracle to the Gods. Perhaps this could be the way she found her way back to Themyscira… She had decided to search out what they spoke of._

_There were tablets strewn all around the floor with writing in Ancient Greek. She picked up one and read it. It described the betrayal of a son to his father. She picked up another. It detailed a weapon that could destroy by dividing matter. She reached for a third. The words on this talked of an island, even paradise. A place ruled by warriors, but that held no war. A safe haven for the women pulled from the sea by Zeus._

_Diana flipped it over, hoping to find something that could lead her to it._

_“The child of Zeus approaches…”_

_She looked up._

_Sitting across one the pools of water was an old woman with white eyes._

_“Who are you? Are you the Oracle?” demanded Diana._

_“Do not ask things you already know…” the old woman responded._

_“Can you tell me how to find Themyscira?” she asked._

_“Do you seek to leave the world of men?”_

_“No… I simply wish to find my home. To see my mother.”_

_“Do you know your destiny, daughter of Hippolyta?”_

_“I am the God Killer. My destiny was to destroy Ares.”_

_“Your destiny is not just to kill the God of War. Your destiny is to defend humankind from war itself. From war that will consume it.”_

_“You mean the war that rages now?”_

_“You are their protector…”_

___ _

_“What are we doing, Diana? Why are we even trying?”_

_Diana stood atop a snow cap, looking out at the burning wreckage of The Fortress of Solitude. Clark was next to her._

_“Because they are worth saving,” she answered._

_“They don’t want to be saved. They want to do this,” he said, waving at the pillar of smoke. “We are not what they want anymore. All they want is death. So let them have it.”_

_A plane suddenly appeared overhead and a missile was coming straight to them. The blast when it hit was massive. It shot Diana nearly a mile away and buried her deep in the snow. Her head buzzed, and everything was muffled even more by the snow. She tried to get up, but the layer above her was thick. She moved her arms until she could cross them, and radiated out a boom, melting everything around her. She now stood in a deep pit, and launched herself out._

_Where had Clark gone? Who had shot at them? At her feet, she noticed a slight green tinge to the snow._

_There had been traces of kryptonite in the missile._

_She whipped around, looking everywhere for her companion when finally she saw the plane had landed far across the ice. She couldn't see where Clark was but she guessed it was somewhere over there. She began running and leaping in great bounds. As she got closer, she could see that several people had gotten out of the plane, and were dragging something. She ran closer. It was Clark. She was running even faster now, pushing herself to get there. Out from one of the people came a long sword that glinted green against the white of the land. He raised it above his head._

_“NO!”_

_Diana…_

_Diana…_

“Diana!” 

Jim was shaking her. She blinked. Looking around she realized she wasn't in the snow anymore, but rather was lying in Jim’s bedroom, covered in sweat. She felt clammy and out of breath. 

She turned and saw Jim sitting up, looking at her with concern. “You were screaming. Really loud.” 

___She rubbed her eyes. “It was a dream. Well... a memory.”_ _ _

___Looking over his shoulder, she could read the clock on the nightstand that said 0156._ _ _

___“Are you ok?” he asked._ _ _

___Diana turned and stared at the ceiling. “Something is happening to me,” she admitted. “And I'm not certain what.”_ _ _

___He slid back down, laying next to her. She turned to look at him._ _ _

___“Remember when you asked me if I believed in destiny?” she asked._ _ _

___“You said you didn't,” he responded. “A crisis of faith, I believe is how you put it.”_ _ _

___She nodded, her breathing finally evening out. “An oracle gave me a prophecy a long time ago, in the middle of World War III. She said it was my destiny to not only kill Ares, but to defend humanity from war itself. That I was it’s protector,” she said, tears appearing in her eyes. “But I couldn't stop them. I couldn't stop any of it. I didn't matter.”_ _ _

___“Well that’s not true,” he said, moving a piece of damp hair from her forehead._ _ _

___She gave him a pained smile at that._ _ _

___“I stopped believing. But I've been getting these feelings, this pull in the back of my mind. The first time it came was when I saw you at the Academy. I thought it was because you looked like Steve, but now… now I think it had something to do with me being on the Enterprise. It’s like…” she tried to put to words what she was having a hard time explaining to herself. “Like everything has been leading me here. Maybe the oracle wasn't wrong. Maybe she just didn't mean the war I thought…”_ _ _

___Jim was getting fuzzy. Her eyes were drooping and before she could finish her train of thought, she had fallen back asleep._ _ _

___ _

___The next morning she sat at his table eating a plate of scrambled eggs. Jim was next to her with bacon and hash browns._ _ _

___“I'm sorry I brought up your father,” she said, leaning on her hand. “That was… particularly harsh.”_ _ _

___Jim nodded and sighed. “I don't think you get to just run away from hard things while the rest of us have to deal with them. Pretty sure we've made this world difficult to stand, and honestly I'm not sure why you keep coming back to help.”_ _ _

___“Some of you make really good replicated eggs,” she said as she ate another bite. He chuckled._ _ _

___It was quiet for a little while._ _ _

___“Are we going to talk about what you said last night?” Jim finally asked._ _ _

___“Which part?” she responded._ _ _

___“The part about you thinking you have to save the world,” he said._ _ _

___“Not have to, just that maybe fate wants me to,” Diana said._ _ _

___“Ok, fate then. Diana, that's a lot for one person to take on,” he said, concerned._ _ _

___“I’m not any person,” she shrugged. “I don’t mind it, it's just… I'm not sure how. I think the talks today may start it.”_ _ _

___“How? How on earth is aligning ourselves with a bunch of murders going to do us any good?” he asked. His voice wasn't angry like yesterday, more in complete confusion over how her mind was working._ _ _

___“Jim, we can't think of all of them as being the same. We can't blindly hate an entire race,” she said. He raised his eyebrows as if to say, _fine.__ _ _

___“When I was in the council meaning convincing them to keep trying with the Accords, I said I thought there might be a possibility something could convince their chancellor not to listen to Manakr. When I did, there was this… this pull in my gut. Maybe I need to do that.”_ _ _

___He nodded slowly._ _ _

___“And how do you intend to convince the Klingon Chancellor of anything?” he asked._ _ _

___“I don't know,” she admitted._ _ _

___“You know that Manakr was probably behind the attack on that Federation outpost, right?” Jim asked._ _ _

___She nodded. “That had occurred to me.”_ _ _

___“So he’s been doing this, and they’ve been letting him. They want to follow him,” he said. “Who know’s how many people have died because of him. And he just get to get away with it?”_ _ _

___Diana had no answer to this either. “I’m not saying I'm looking to be overly compassionate with him, honestly I'd be happy to just kill him, but he is not the entire Empire. He should not be allowed to dictate their fate.”_ _ _

___“Diana, I'm sorry, but I’m still struggling to see why they deserve our help,” he admitted._ _ _

___“Maybe they don’t deserve it. But one thing I know is that future generations don't deserve an endless war.” Diana looked down for a moment, thinking, and then back up to meet his eyes. “I am the earth’s protector and I will do what it takes to defend it.”_ _ _


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it has only recently occurred to me that I've been assuming everyone reading this knew about TOS Kirk and his long standing fight with the Klingons. He runs into them so much, he almost becomes a challeng for them, many thinking of him as a cunning warrior that constantly outsmarts them. I wrote this whole fic assuming AOS Kirk would also have many Klingon run ins over the years, and like his counterpart, always outsmart them. But I realize I really only alluded to that once when he mentioned it in that conference when they got back from earth. An error on my part, but I'm telling you now, they have the same beef. 
> 
> Also sorry I'm a few hours late to posting this. I fell asleep in the middle of writing. Whoops.

The meeting hall was a roar with people. Around seventy different Federation members were all crowded in, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Klingons. 

It was a large room, rectangular with seats on either side slanting upward like an amphitheatre. At one end there was a large door, the other a short row of seats that stood above the rest. Diana sat here, next to the Federation President several other Council heads and Admiral Wallace. 

Jim sat with the main crew in the front row of the left side. He was by the end so he was actually only a few feet away from Diana, though she sat a few feet above him. She frequently glanced at him, hoping he was doing ok. Earlier he had agreed, if a little half heartedly, that looking to the future was in everyone’s best interest. 

Deep down she knew he could get there. She was...optimistic. She smiled at the memory of Ambassador Spock and his assurance that this was a logical choice. 

“Admiral Prince?” President Thomson had turned to speak with her, not overly quietly, but as the hall was quite loud, no one else heard him. “I intend to defer to your judgment often, so please be prepared to speak,” he then added, “And don’t worry, I'll introduce you as Doctor, not Admiral.”

President Thomson was one of the few people aware of Diana’s rank. He had been considered one of the bright new thinkers nearly forty years ago, and had been selected as a young lawyer to work on the senior Federation Legal Board. He had been dealing with higher ups for a lifetime, and Diana had always been there. There were even a few older senior Starfleet members who referred to her as Admiral back then, and he had noticed. He now fell into the group of people who had noticed her apparent lack of aging, but as had no reason to take issue with her over the years, had chocked it up to medical advancements, or being part… something. Certainly not something he wanted to be so rude as to ask about. And there was also always something more pressing to worry about than some person’s appearance, especially someone who did not call attention to themselves. He had ambition, and she hadn't stood in his way. 

She smiled and thanked him, although she still was not entirely sure what she was to say here. 

With a loud creaking, the doors opened, and in walked the Klingons. A hush fell over the crowd. They all moved with deliberation in their steps and with a ferocity that came only after years of training for battle. All of them bore many medals from individual military campaigns. Chancellor Haybath lead the processional, flanked by several men. There were ten of them in total, with only one woman amongst them. Diana did not know her name, but she assumed it was the woman from the tapes. Part of her wished that just the two of them could speak without all the others here. Klingon’s did not usually allow women in government positions, so how she had gotten to where she was intrigued Diana. 

All except Haybath filled into the first row, directly opposite of where the Enterprise crew sat. 

“I shall stand,” Haybath announced, looking President Thompson in the eye.

“Very well, shall we begin?” he asked.

Haybath nodded. 

“Alright. Today we are come to discuss the further pursuit of a peace accord between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire, including the disbandment of the Neutral Zone, and other potential future associations. However,” Thomson added, “before we return to the treaty that has been drawn up and contributed to by both sides, there is a matter that the Federation demands an answer for before we continue.”

The Klingon High Council exchanged looks. 

“And what matter would that be,” demanded Haybath.

“The Federation discovered one of your secure frequencies that we suspect had been accidentally left open. On it we heard this.”

The recording of Haybath, Manakr, and the other two councilors talking played overhead. 

When the recording finished, Haybath stared Thompson back down and asked, “And?” with a hint of arrogance. 

The hall erupted at this. Angry Federation members yelled things like, “You attacked our ship!” and, “We were in the middle of a negotiation!”

“Order, order!” yelled Thompson. “Chancellor, you cannot think this attack does not matter! We were in the middle of a diplomatic mission and you did nothing to stop this! What does this say about how you treat your allies?”

“It says we will not stand for weak associations. Your ship could barely handle our Bird of Prey,” sneered Haybath.

“We destroyed your Bird of Prey!” yelled Jim, standing up.

“Captain, sit down!” reprimanded Thompson.

Haybath turned, smiling an eerie smile at Jim. “And this must be the infamous James T. Kirk. The Empire knows of you. I have many a warrior that would wish to see you in battle.”

“Bring it on. I've never lost yet,” Jim said glaring him back down. 

“Jim,” whispered Diana, and giving him a look as if to say, _maybe not now?_

Jim looked at her and breathed. He turned back to Haybath. “You attacked my ship. You must answer for that.”

Haybath looked back at Thompson. “We are not interested in an agreement where by which we become the guard dogs of the Federation!” He took a step closer. “The Romulan threat is real and it has occurred to us that the only reason you speak to us now is because you need our assistance.”

“Your assistance!” shot back Thompson. “You came to us! It is your moon and the production on it that has crippled your economy!” Thompson threw his arms up in exasperation. “We were being gracious!”

“Gracious! Ha! You do not match our might. You never have and you never will,” said Haybath. 

“Starfleet is perfectly capable of handling ourselves in battle!” interjected Admiral Wallace. 

“Starfleet!” responded one of the Klingon council members for the first time. “Starfleet is not even technically a military organization!”

“That does not mean we are not prepared for combat! The Federation has dealt with its share of war,” insisted Wallace. 

“You have dealt with nothing but small skirmishes for years,” said Haybath, brushing this off. “Your leaders do not know or understand real combat.”

Diana spoke for the first time. “The Federation is not so quick to jump to war. This is not a sign of weakness. We seek strength through other means that perhaps you would have as well, and not be facing such a crisis within your own borders if you had built your Empire on more than just seeking glory in battle.”

Haybath shot her a look of annoyance. Disrespect for women ran rampant in Klingon culture, and he likely did not like being lectured by one. “And what would you know about war? If they,” he said, gesturing to the Enterprise crew and then to Wallace, “are not prepared, than what would a woman that sits behind a desk all day be?”

The pull at the back of her mind was stronger than ever. To the side of her, she heard Jim snort, as if to say _I'd like to see you try her._

The lone Klingon woman spoke. “It is clear our cultures value different things, and it is perhaps a fair point to make that we must expand beyond battle, but if any alliance is to be made, the fear that you are lead by those who are not prepared is a fair one to address.”

Diana now really did wish it was just the two of them. Before she could say anything Wallace once again shot back, “Starfleet is not weak!”

“Then prove it!” demanded Haybath. “Face us in battle.”

“What!” yelled Wallace? “You want a fight to seal a peace treaty?”

“We want to know you are a worthy ally,” said Haybath, as if this was somehow a logical proposition. 

“No. Not happening,” said Wallace. “I'm not sending my people to die to prove a point!”

“Than war is our only other option,” announced Haybath. “As has been pointed out, the Neutral Zone strangles the life from us, and we will stand it no longer. We will be free of it, and are willing to be so by this treaty, but we will be free by whatever means necessary.” He looked at Haybath. “It is not so bad for your people to die! They will do it in honor, defending your precious Federation.”

The entire room broke out into yelling again. Haybath yelled at Wallace, Wallace yelled at the Klingon Council and the Klingon council yelled at the Federation Members and around the room it went. 

Thomson looked over at Diana with a look of exasperation that the talks had gone this south. The wheels in her head were turning. They had been ever since Haybath had accused her of not knowing battle. She remembered when Wallace had made similar comments the pull had cropped up then. Maybe… maybe…

“Will you accept hand to hand combat?” asked Diana, making her voice as loud as she could over the yelling.

Everyone grew quiet and turned to look at her.

“Diana…” she heard Jim say under his breath. She ignored him. 

“Of course,” said Haybath. “To battle your opponent to their face is the height of glory.”

Thompson leaned in to her so only she could hear. “What are you asking? Even if we did accept this insane proposition, we cannot face Klingons in hand to hand combat! We wouldn't stand a chance!”

Diana ignored him to.

“So you want one of your armies to battle one of ours, correct?” she clarified. 

“Yes,” Haybath asserted. 

“And we can choose who to make up our side with, correct?” she asked.

“As long as those you send are all members of Starfleet, yes,” he responded. 

“Then I accept,” she announced. 

“What!” yelled Wallace and Thompson.

“No, you don't get to send a bunch of our people to fight these maniacs!” shouted Wallace. “You don't have the authority to tell anyone in Starfleet anything.”

“Well…” muttered Thompson.

“Wallace, I am an Admiral and incidentally outrank you, but you have misunderstood me,” she said to him and then turned back to look at Haybath. “I personally accept your challenge.”

“You? You and who else?” asked Haybath, baffled by this sudden turn of events.

“No one. Just me.” Diana did not break eye contact. 

“You wish to face an entire Klingon army alone?” sneered Haybath.

“I wish to defend these people, and you have given no other options.”

“Ok, ok, hold on. Let’s take a recess,” said Thompson. “I think we need to discuss some things.”

 

Jim hurried into the chambers off to the side. He wasn't sure if he was allowed into this meeting, but like hell he was going to miss it.

Of all the places he saw this going, Diana, personally announcing she would fight an entire army of Klingons was not one of the options he foresaw.

He was conflicted. On the one hand, part of him was worried. Yes, she couldn't die, but what if that rule only applied to humans killing her? Maybe a Klingon could do the trick. On the other hand, he was pretty sure she knew what she was doing and considering he was still filled to his eyes with anger about Manakr, he really wanted to witness them having to face her. 

Everyone from the main stand was sitting in the room around a table, plus a few others. Wallace was yelling at Thompson. 

“What do you mean she’s a Vice Admiral? How long has she been in Starfleet! Why didn’t I know about this!” He continued yelling about a thousand questions, some he directed at the President and some at Diana and some at no one in particular. 

Thompson looked confused and was trying to calm Wallace. The rest were whispering to each other shooting furtive looks at Diana. 

She on the other hand just sat there looking at everyone with one eyebrow raised in annoyance. Jim slid into the seat next to her. 

“So when I say bring it on, you shush me, but for you it’s apparently ok,” he said quietly. 

She turned and smiled a little. “I didn't shush you,” she responded. 

“Yeah but you gave me the shush look,” he said.

“And what is Kirk doing here!” Wallace had noticed Jim sit down. 

_I honestly just wanted to watch._

“Sir, I can guess what Dr...er...Admiral Prince is about to say, and I know it will be hard to take, so I'm here to provide a corroborating witness.” Damn, he was good at making things up.

“And what exactly are you about to say?” yelled Wallace.

“Well, first I should ask if you're finished removing the air from your lungs by screaming at the room,” she said in a dry tone. 

Diana had clearly lost any fucks to give and it was the best thing he'd seen in years. 

Wallace was about to start yelling again at that, but as he realized this would just be confirming what she had been saying, he stopped himself. 

“My name is Diana of Themyscira,” she announced, “daughter of Zeus.”

Everyone stared. An Andorian suddenly said, “Is that supposed to mean something?”

“Zeus,” Thompson began, “as in… the old earth legend...The Zeus? King of the Gods?”

“Yes. That would be my father,” she said, clearly trying to be patient. 

“Who is Zeus?” muttered a few nonhuman Federation members. 

“It a old story from earth. He was a god who reigned over all the other gods. He was their father and creator and possessed great, unimaginable power. He was worshiped in Ancient Greece,” said another person.

“So according to you, he’s not a story, and you're his child?!” demanded Wallace. “Bullshit.”

Diana got up and walked over to a massive stone sculpture of the galaxy that had to weigh at least a ton. She lifted it up and held it in one hand as if it were a dinner platter. 

Everyone stared in silence. She put it down and walked back to her seat, smoothing out her skirt, and then looking back at Wallace, Thomson and everyone else. Most of their mouths were open. 

Finally Wallace shook his head and said, “There could be a thousand reasons for that, and Zeus being your dad is not one of them.”

"She has been around forever..." said Thomson, squinting at her. "I've known you for years and you've never aged."

There were mutters around the table. 

"You know now that he says that..."

"I always just thought she was part Vulcan."

"No! No! Are you people really considering this?" Wallace looked flabbergasted. 

"Sir, like I said, I know it sounds fantastic, however I can assert that what she's saying is true," said Jim. 

"Why!? How can you say that? Did you meet Zeus?" Wallace said flippantly. 

"No, but I met her brother Apollo," he fired back. 

Diana was leaning on her hand with a general look of impatience, but she shot Jim a small smile at that. 

President Thomson raised his hand. 

"Admiral Prince, perhaps you could explain yourself to us?" He leaned back in his chair. 

"It is not a short story," she assured him. 

He nodded. "I'm sure it's not. But the Klingons can wait. I'm mad at them anyways, they can deal with sitting out there for a while."

"Well," Diana began, "I was born almost 2,000 years ago on an island called Themyscira..."

 

When Diana had finished her story, covering everything from the Amazons to her involvement in all three of earth's World Wars, the subsequent decision to lead a quieter life, and then her eventual participation with the Federation and Starfleet, there was a stunned silence. 

Then, one of the older Tellarites stood up.

“I believe her,” she announced. “Perhaps it is because I was not raised to see her origin as a myth, but whatever it may be,” she looked at Diana, “I believe her.”

“I am inclined to as well,” said President Thomson. “In all my years, I have never seen her do anything that was not in the best interest of the Federation and it’s citizens. I see no reason for her to lie.”

A few others still looked unsure, Wallace chief among them. 

“If I can add something?” said Jim. He looked to Diana first and then to Thomson. They both nodded. “Admiral Prince first came aboard the Enterprise because we discovered her brother Apollo on a planet along the border of Alpha and Beta. You can check my reports, it was auto flagged to be sent to her. While we initially believed him to be the Apollo, we thought perhaps he was just an advanced race with technology humans of Ancient Greece did not comprehend. But we returned to the planet with Admiral Prince, and we witnessed both his and her true nature. She is what she claims. I've seen it with my own eyes, and so have many members of my crew.” He looked at Wallace. “She is the single most remarkable being I have ever witnessed. You do not deserve her help, but you would be a fool to refuse it.”

“Admiral Wallace, even if you don't believe she came from where she says, what does it matter if she can do what she claims?” Thomson asked.

Wallace just rubbed his eyes. “So, this is how it goes. We get attacked, and in response we don’t punish the Klingons, we simply send one person who says she's the kid of a dead god?”

Diana stood, and announced, “I am done listening to this debate. The earth, and by it, the Federation is my responsibility and I will defend it. I am going.” She turned to Wallace. “And I assure you. Facing me will be their punishment.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is best read while listening to Wonder Woman's Wrath and Action Reaction on repeat. Have fun.

Neither side wanted to host the battle on a planet currently inhabited, so a planet with no colonies near the edge of the neutral zone was chosen. It once had been populated and all over it were massive structures and ancient buildings, but by the time anyone had ever gotten there, no one was on it. It was considered one of the universe's great mysteries. 

In one area of the planet, there was a large stone building. It was a giant circle with a dome atop and a great set of stairs leading up to the entrance. Inside was a massive main room with a stone table. It was here that both the Federation and Klingon Empire had agreed to observe from. The army was waiting about a half mile away and observation drones had been put in place with a large screen setup in the hall. All sat around the table and looked up at it. The Klingon’s were still convinced that the Federation would send someone in to help her, so there were many smaller windows on the side of the screen showing different vantage points.

“And you're sure you're not gunna die?” asked Jim. “That Klingons can't kill you?”

“Actually I'm not, but I'm not really worried. Nothing I've ever faced could, and even if they were an exception, I'm still sure I can beat them,” said Diana, shrugging a little. 

They were standing outside in front of the stone steps that lead into the building. 

“Well, I guess that's as much comfort as I can ask for,” said Jim raising his eyebrows in acceptance. 

“I’ll be fine,” she smiled. 

“I'm sure you will be.” Jim looked her up and down. She was wearing her armor. “You know you should really wear that outfit more often.”

Diana laughed. “I bet it would be great for my next committee meeting.”

“Diana! It’s time!” called a voice from at the top of the stairs.

Diana sighed, and stretched her neck a little. 

“Well,” said Jim, “I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to say right now. Good luck? Have fun?”

“Oh, I will,” promised Diana. 

 

Diana just walked the half a mile, not in a particular rush. They could wait for her. When she got there she looked at her surroundings. There were large rocky hills and short cliffs all around. Small shrubbery and the occasional tree was growing. 

She looked around and walked to the foot of one of the hills. It's peak was about twenty feet above where she stood. There were several slightly taller cliffs around it. Atop all of them were hundreds and hundreds of Klingons. One stood at the peak of the hill, looking down at her.

“I am Manakr, here to destroy you, and bring the Empire into a great and glorious war!”

Diana was still observing the area, making mental notes of her surroundings, things like the dirt and how it moved beneath her feet, and how much weight she suspected the small trees could hold. 

“We have brought the might of my most loyal, my most terrifying warriors! Though I likely could have brought none but a child and their Beast to beat you, lone woman!” Manakr laughed. Many of the other Klingons followed suit.

There was a small, nearly imperceptible fault line she noticed in the ground by her feet. It ran all the way to one of the cliffs, and then the tiny fracture ran up the side. 

“But you are not so lucky! Today you face the might of a thousand Klingon warriors!”

Diana raised an eyebrow, and then with all her strength, punched the line at her feet. The earth trembled and then shook deep within itself. The ground began to cave in along the line and the crumbling ran all the way to the cliff to the side, splitting it in half, with nearly all that stood atop it falling to their doom. 

“I don't know,” Diana called back, “looks now more like 800 to me.”

Manakr stood in shock for a moment. Diana smirked and tilted her head slightly to the side. She unsheathed her sword, and yelled, “Ready?”

 

Back in the stone building, all the eyes were glued to the screen, and had a similar look of shock as to Manakr. The Enterprise crew was the exception, though they still looked a little surprised, if perhaps not as blown away as everyone else in the room. 

Bones turned to Jim who’s face had turned into a smirk. 

“I take back everything I've ever said about you two being a bad idea. I accept this is the woman you've decided to love,” Bones said flatly. 

 

Manakr had snapped out of his shock and now looked enraged that she had gotten in the first hit. With all that fury, he yelled, “NOW!” and all of them began charging at her. 

Diana dropped to the ground as soon as the first wave met her, spinning on one hand and taking out five Klingons at their legs. She leapt back up, swinging her sword at the next group, striking them all through the chest. With a flick of her wrist she had grabbed and snapped her lasso, roping six men, and throwing them off, yards away. 

Hundreds more kept coming. 

She decided that she needed to mow down the herd to a manageable size. Pushing force into her feat she lept into the air to move herself to the higher ground. There were about forty Klingons standing on the cliff edge she was jumping to, so she raised her sword and as she came back down and drove it into the ground. The force shook them all so much that most of them fell over. She lassoed the ones that hadn't and threw them off the edge. Some of them started to get back up and charge toward her, but she swung her sword at their oncoming bat’leths.

As one ran up behind her she swung her elbow back, connecting it with his face, and using the same motion, took down three more with the force of her sword, all while blocking two more on her other side with her shield. She turned and rammed the two attacking her, and the four others behind them with the force of her shield. 

She looked around, realizing she had nearly cleared this particular cliff, and she could use it as the vantage point she had intended. One more popped up, but she just kicked him off the edge. 

Seeing that she had moved upward, many were moving up the sloped side of the cliff to try and have their go at attacking her. By her count it looked to be around three hundred were charging her. She then looked down and saw where her sword had left a deep hole in the ground. That gave her an idea. She leapt back up in the air and thrust it back into the same spot. Cracks splintered out from it. She jumped up one more time and repeated the motion. The cracks kept spreading and a massive chunk of the edge began to break off. Before it could fall, she took both hands and thrust them into the ground, and then lifted the splintered chunk of rock above her head. It was over fifty feet long and weighed several tons, but she lifted it nonetheless. The oncoming rush was almost to the top of the cliff when she threw it at them, crushing the first bunch underneath, and then rolling down to take out most of the rest who couldn't get out of the way fast enough. 

Now she was down to about 500. She sighed. Much more manageable. 

 

“DID SHE JUST RIP OFF THE EDGE OF A CLIFF AND THROW IT AT THEM?” yelled Wallace. 

Even the Enterprise crew had looked a little shocked at that one. While many of them had seen her in action, Diana had never battled something this massive in front of them.

“Should I be giving her a promotion?” asked Thomson.

Haybath was on the edge of his seat, along with the rest of the Klingon high council. It had been years since any of them had witnessed someone who could hold their own for even more than a few minutes against them in hand to hand combat and now they had just watched someone take out almost half an army in under half an hour. 

 

Diana jumped down from the cliff, this time channeling energy into one of her cuffs, and punched the Klingon unfortunate enough to be directly in her path to the ground. The shock wave reverberated out from her fist, knocking over any more within fifty feet of her. More pooled in to try and face her, and she decided to return to her sword. She spun it around in front of her, hitting four more in the face. With a small leap, she flew up in the air, flipped around, and brought the hilt down hard on the head of another. 

“These are your most terrifying warriors, Manakr?” Diana yelled at the Klingon now far away atop a hill, trying to direct them as how to best attack her. “If that’s true, I don't think it’s us that should be worried about being unprepared for battle,” she smirked. 

This seemed to stoke a new rage in him. “Swarm her!” he screamed. 

Now they began to stop with their previous typical battle movements and opted to just bury her in bodies. They surrounded her, now occasionally getting in a hit, and those who couldn't reach her ran and jumped on the backs of those in front of them to get at her from above. As she saw two about to land directly on top of her, bat’leth’s ready to run her through, she reached up and grabbed one foot from each with both hands. She pulled the down, and then continuing to hold their feet, began spinning in a circle, taking out the swarm around her with their own men. 

 

“My lord! We seem to be...well...we seem to be losing!” cried a Klingon to Manakr. “She meets everything we throw at her!”

“Perhaps not everything…” mused Manakr, glancing to a massive boulder, with sharp edges jutting out and looking like it weighed so much it would take 50 men to move it. 

 

“I have to get back to having weekly fencing matches with her,” said Sulu, eyes wide as they all watched her swing her sword over and over. “I mean come on, I gotta learn how to do that!” he exclaimed as she managed a particularly complicated move that took out ten men. 

“Her technical skill in swordsmanship is quite impressive to watch,” remarked Spock. 

“It's damn near therapeutic, that's what it is!” said Bones. Years of seeing patients dead by the hands of the Klingons looked like they were being lifted from his soul. 

Jim, on the other hand, found his smile fading for the first time since she had punched the ground. In dealing with the hoard that was now attempting to pile on to her, she seemed to not notice the group that was pushing a terrifyingly dangerous boulder up the sloped side of the cliff she was under. 

“Come on, Diana… turn around…” he muttered. But she didn't. The group kept pushing and they managed to get it positioned right above her head, and she still had not seen it. They started pushing against it, and it teetered on the edge. Finally with one final shove, it fell, directly on top of Diana.

Jim went as white as a sheet, and the whole hall, which had been abuzz with talking, fell silent, holding their breath. 

All was still. 

Then, with a massive burst of light, the boulder shattered into a thousand pieces, and Diana emerged, fists out and roaring.

A look of relief fell over him, and several people in the hall clapped and as cheered the Klingon high council threw up their arms in frustration and slouched back in their seats, folding their arms and glaring at the screen. 

 

Manakr’s plan of dropping a boulder on her had backfired, because the exploding rock had taken out at least another hundred and it had angered Diana. The back of her head stung from the impact, although her shield had taken much of it. After shattering the rock, she had fallen to her knees, one hand rubbing the spot where it had connected with her skull. Her eyes were closed with a winced expression on her face. Thinking that he had a moment to get in a blow, one of the Klingons that hadn't been hit by the exploding rock came up to the side of her, swinging his bat’leth above his head to bring down on the back of her neck.

Right as he began to bring his weapon down, her hand shot up and caught it. 

He tried to continue pushing down and the blade caused a small cut to appear on Diana’s hand, but she barely noticed. She stood up with a look of rage in her eyes as she turned to him. Without breaking eye contact, she ripped the blade from his hands and broke it in two. She tossed away one half and struck him down with the other. 

She looked up to see still somewhere around three hundred soldiers standing, but none of them seemed to be overly eager to rush her as they once had been. 

“Had enough?” she called across to Manakr. 

He growled through gritted teeth. He shouted, “Again, from above!” at the remaining Klingons. They appeared to rush her, but in fact sped up to to all the hills and cliffs behind her. She didn't move other than to turn and watch them all come into formation above. 

 

“What is she doing?! Why is she letting them take the high ground?” demanded Wallace. “Doesn't she know not to do that?”

“No offence, sir,” said Jim, “but something tells me that she is fully aware of basic battle strategies. Maybe just watch?”

“Maybe that rock disoriented her! I mean what is she playing at?” he asked, waving at the screen where Diana was now gazing upwards.

“Sir, she's not playing anything where she can't win,” Jim assured him. 

 

Diana closed her eyes and breathed. She stretched her neck backwards, clearing her mind. Suddenly her eyes opened and she began directing energy from within herself to her hands which she crossed in front of her face. Her feet lifted themselves from the ground, and she slowly floated upwards until she hovered above the highest point. With a mighty yell, she slammed her wrists together. The shock wave wasn't like the smaller ones she had used earlier. It was a massive burst of light reverberating out and crashing like a mighty wave over everything in front of and below her. It struck every single last Klingon down in a fiery blow.

Well, nearly. Manakr was still off in the distance, the great stone building five hundred or so meters behind the hill he was perched upon. She looked over at him as she lowered herself back to the ground, which shook when she landed. 

With the distinct sound of metal being pulled, she reached for her sword. Diana decided she didn’t want to simply blast him away. She would be inches from his face and he would know it was nothing but her battle skills against his that destroyed him.

He saw her coming toward him and he pulled his own bat’leth out in one hand, and gripped his mek’leth in the other. He held them both in preparation before him and yelled in Klingon, “ _wo’ batlhvaD_!”

Diana raised an eyebrow and called back, “ _Heghlu’meH QaQ jajvam_!”

For a moment he looked taken aback that she had returned his native tongue, and with such a threat, but he had to focus on other things, like her sword now swinging at him.

With the sound of metal on metal, their blades connected. Diana lifted hers to swing at him again from the side. He blocked this as well with his bat’leth and swung his mek’leth at her side. She took the hit by moving her wrist so it would come into contact with her cuff. Diana spun, falling to the ground and sweeping her leg to try and take him out. He mostly dodged it, but was taken slightly off balance, and she seized the opportunity to kick the mek’leth out of his hand. 

Again, she swung, bringing her sword down hard to his face. He stopped it at the last second with his own weapon, but the force of her was causing him to bend backwards. With all his strength, he brought both hands to the bat’leth and pushed her off. 

“You think that just because you have taken out my army that you will succeed in preventing war!” he yelled as she returned, spinning and swinging, the chink of their weapons growing more and more frequent as she began to beat him back with speed. “Haybath was my student! He learned leadership at my feet! His rule will always be marked by me, even if you kill me now!” he shouted, glaring at her. She swung again, this time the tip of her sword leaving a gash across his face. 

Manakr touched the wound on his face, hissing. Looking back up at Diana. He ran and swung his bat’leth. She raised her sword above her head to take the blow. Standing with his face so close to hers she could feel the heat from his breath, he declared, “Part of Haybath will always want to honor my life.”

As he said this, Diana glared him back down. “You may be right. So I will make him remember your death.”

She punched him in the stomach with just enough effort that he would hunch over. He was almost bowing to her when she wrapped her lasso around his neck. She pulled it and he tried to struggle against her, but she just moved behind him, keeping the rope tight and grabbing a handful of his back collar. She yanked it and he fell to the ground on his back. She kept hold of the rope and fabric and began dragging him across the ground. She stalked toward the giant stone building. Her strides were long and deliberate and Manakr’s constant struggling didn't seem to even register as she continued moving in one smooth line. 

She moved with shameless wonder across the ground. With each step she let go of a little more of the weight she had carried. With each step every broken memory felt more bearable. With each step, she felt her faith in forces beyond her return, as she knew that they had led here here. Diana swore she could almost hear her mother’s voice speak about her destiny. 

She finally got to the building and began her hike up the steps, Manakr making a thudding noise with each stair she climbed. She kicked open the door with an echoing _BOOM_ to reveal the main hall that had been converted to an observation room. A large circular stone table was in the center, and she knew if she looked around she would see familiar faces. But she didn't want to look for those. She only wanted one; Haybath. She saw him sitting directly across from her, although he had stood up as had the rest of the room when she had kicked in the door. 

She kept walking, hoisting herself onto the table and lifting Manakr with her. She moved with perfect grace toward the Klingon leader, dragging his mentor behind her. Diana stopped right in front of him, throwing Manakr between them. He was barely conscious. “I,” she announced, glaring Haybath down, “am Diana, Daughter of Hippolyta, and I hereby perform my sacred duty of defending the people of earth.” With a powerful scream she raised her sword with both hands and ran Manakr through the heart, the table beneath him cracking as the sword split the stone. 

“Now sign the treaty,” she said through gritted teeth.


	28. Chapter 28

The Klingons signed the treaty. 

There had been a few from the Federation that had worried on the way back to earth that perhaps Chancellor Haybath or other council members would accuse them of cheating by sending Diana as their defender, but it turned out to be quite the opposite. 

Not only did they sign the treaty, they were so impressed with Diana’s display that they conceded several points that hadn’t been resolved yet to the Federation’s wishes. As Diana had realized when Manakr was uttering his last threats, whatever her hopes were for the Klingon Empire becoming a people that could be talked with, for now, they respected shows of force, and had she shown them force. The Empire only had one request as they signed the treaty, and that was that Diana be placed in the position of Commander in Chief of Starfleet. 

“Well I was gunna do that anyway,” said President Thomson under his breath as he smiled and shook Haybath’s hand. 

“It is time the Empire move away from knowing nothing but war. I look forward to our future encounters,” said the female councilor, who's name turned out to be Reslla, to Diana. 

Diana nodded to her. “I as well.”

As the council and Chancellor got ready to leave, Haybath turned to look at Jim, who was there and being as supportive of this major diplomatic moment as he could, though still clearly slightly on edge.

“You don't trust me, do you?” said Haybath, looking him up and down. Jim sighed and began to say something, but the Chancellor cut him off. “I don't blame you. If there is to be a brave new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it.” At this, he extended his hand to Jim, who looked a little surprised, but then cautiously took it. 

Haybath was right. Over the next few years, there would be growing pains and several minor incidences as both sides adjusted to this new Peace Accord, and old prejudices on both sides would take many more years to overcome. But overall, history would look back on this as being a definitive turning point for intergalactic relations. Something that changed the course of the universe. It was exactly the kind of thing fate was quite invested in. 

Shortly after the departure of the Klingons, a confirmation hearing was scheduled for Diana’s appointment to Commander in Chief of Starfleet. President Thomson and the main council all sat at a long table slightly above her while she had her seat at a lone podium in the center of the room. As everyone knew that this appointment was a condition of the Accords, no one objected. However Councilor Tamnd did raise his hand before the vote was officially cast. 

“I know that each person here will agree to place Vice Admiral Prince in charge of Starfleet, but before we do this, I want to have a frank discussion.”

A low murmur spread across the hall, and Diana raised an eyebrow. She glanced at Jim who was sitting with a variety of other observers on the side. His arms were crossed and he was eyeing Tamnd with suspicion. 

“While we are all very grateful for her assistance, this new revelation on her true nature brings up some questions that I think we deserve answers to,” began Tamnd. “For example, how powerful is she? Is this power a threat? While she may assist us now, what are we supposed to do if she decides to turn against us?”

At this Diana stood up. “Councilor, you will stop there.” She stared Tamnd down, and then turned to the rest of the stand. “I wish to be perfectly clear about this, so make note, as I will not repeat myself. I am not interested in being put on trial by you or anyone else. In my entire existence I have done absolutely nothing to warrant this, though you are not the first to try it. Over my years in this world I have watched humanity commit the most unimaginable crimes. You are cruel, weak, and have brought yourself to the brink of your own destruction through your own hatred. I have witnessed all three of your World Wars. I have seen you try and kill anything that was different from you. I know exactly what you are, and yet I have always given you my faith. Faith that you could rise above and be something more. Now you will have to have faith in me.”

President Thomson gave her a small smile. “Well, I certainly think that is a reasonable request. In fact, I make a motion that from here on out, it will be considered a basic rights violation to attempt to regulate any being based solely on the potential power they possess.”

“That would be considered a major addition to our charter on basic rights!” Tamed exclaimed

“Fine,” said Thomson, rolling his eyes. “Then I make a motion that the addition be sent to committee for review.” He looked back at Diana. “Either way, we can vote on what we came here today for which is to place Diana Prince as Commander in Chief of Starfleet. All in favor?”

The table was an echo of, “Ayes.”

 

As everyone was filing out of the hall, Diana saw Jim standing by the door, grinning at her.

“Does this mean I can stop worrying about getting brought up on Starfleet violations?”

Diana laughed. “Jim, when in your life have you ever let Starfleet regulations stop you?”

“Oh, please,” he said in a mock offended tone, “my rule breaking has always been wildly exaggerated.” Diana raised an eyebrow to this. “Ok, maybe not when I was younger, but I've been very boring for years now.”

“Jim, you are many things, but boring will never be one of them,” she smiled as they walked away. 

For a second, Diana thought she saw an old woman with white eyes at the back of the room, but when she looked closer, she was gone. 

 

Months passed, and Diana adjusted to her new, now much more visible, role. It had been years since her life was like this, really not since her Wonder Woman days had so many eager eyes been upon her. Tamnd and his suspicions were a minority amongst the Federation. Starfleet was thrilled with her as their new head and all that they could gain from her wisdom and experience. Her days were beyond busy, but there was part of her that was experiencing a newfound relief at not having to hide any part of herself. 

The cool winds of winter swept through San Francisco and with them they brought more than a change in season. 

One night, Jim was laying in her bed, staring at the ceiling. He could feel her breath coming in and out near his shoulder. He turned and looked at her. 

She slept on her stomach, hair strewn across her face. Her face that was too young. Faces are supposed to age, but here she was, looking the exact same as the day he first saw her. It reminded him of how old he thought looked these days. Of the small grey hairs that had popped up at his temples. 

But she wasn't young. She was ancient. She was of the marble statues that people looked at in places like the Louvre. She had breathed life eons before him and would likely do so eons after. 

He was a dot in her universe. Easy to forget. Perhaps that's why he was considering staying. 

Her eyes flickered open, as if she sensed he was awake. She looked at him for a moment and then a sleepy smile appeared on her lips.

“Jim. What are you overthinking?”

He smirked and rolled his eyes.

“You’re very difficult, you know that, right?” he chuckled.

“Mmm. But you like difficult things,” she whispered, leaning in to rest her chin on his chest.

His face became slightly more serious. “I love difficult things.”

She grinned. “Stop avoiding my question.”

“You’re going to be having one of two offers come across your desk for approval soon. My superior officers have decided what to do with me,” he finally sighed. “and I need to decide within the week which one I want.”

Diana propped herself up on her elbow. “And these offers are?”

“Well, I can go back to the Enterprise for what the new thing you all want. The continuing mission.” He looked over at her. 

Her face lit up. “You mean the program where we put ships in permanent active duty?” she asked. “I was hoping they would ask you.” She smiled. “We think it will be more efficient than rotating a crew every five years, especially now that we’re going out farther. Missions get rejected because of time or distance. This would be taking the training wheels off! You could see so much, learn so much!” Diana's voice had slowly gotten louder in her enthusiasm.

“Mhmm.” Kirk nodded, biting at his lower lip and staring back up at the ceiling. 

“The other offer?” she asked. 

“Vice admiral. And a seat on the main Federation Council.”

“Well, you are overthinking this.” She rolled her eyes, lying back down. “I was right, as usual.”

Kirk turned to her. “Excuse me, but I think they are both very good offers.” He said scowling. 

Diana gave him an impatient look. “No you don't. You know full well that you don't want to sit around Earth dealing with a bunch of bureaucrats.”

“You do it,” he muttered. 

“Jim…” she said slowly, squinting at him. “You're not going to turn this down because of me, are you?”

“Would that be the worst thing?” he asked, defensively. 

She reached over and ran her fingers through his hair. 

“The earth is my home, but we both know it’s not yours. You want to be out there running through galaxies.” Her eyes were soft. “You belong in the sky.”

She was right. He knew it. But that didn't make the idea of just leaving indefinitely any more pleasant. 

“I suppose I can't really give you a speech about the Enterprise and how amazing it is to get you to come with me anymore,” he sighed. 

“No… I’m a little busy,” she said with a small smile. 

“Just a little,” he said, leaning in to kiss her lightly. 

When he pulled back, she said, “It’s not like you're being banished. You’ll still come back, and I imagine I'll have to wander out into space from time to time.” She put her hand on the side of his face. “We’ll find each other.”

He nodded. “You know, I said once that the best case scenario for us is I end up being another picture on your shelf.” Her face became slightly concerned at where he was going with this. “I’ve decided that that’s not a bad thing at all, but only if I get to pick the picture. Gotta make sure I look good.” 

Diana snorted at this. “For a second I was worried you were going to say something serious.” She waved her hand. “Sure. The day you see one that you really like, let me know.” She stretched and then curled into his side to go back to sleep. 

As he looked at her, a question, that had wandered around his mind since the first time he was ever in this room finally found the courage to come out. 

“Ok, here’s something serious, what am I going to be to you?” His voice was low and quiet. “In a hundred years when I am long gone, what are you going to say about me?”

Diana slowly looked at him with compassion in her eyes. It wasn't pity, and he was grateful for that. It took her a minute to think of an answer. 

“I’ll say that the woman forged in earth fell in love with a man made of starlight.”

 

The mystery of James T. Kirk and his appearance turned out to be one of many things fate had done to lead Diana back to the path it needed her on. Her time on the Enterprise had lead her to where she needed to be, both literally and emotionally. Being around people who had accepted her renewed her faith in mankind, and the people from that ship she would continue to work with for years would indeed have quite the impact on history. And of course, she had now defended, and continued to defend humanity from war itself. Destiny was in her DNA and she needed to find what she was made of again. Love had nothing to do with it. 

In fact had they not loved each other, the world would look not so different from the way it does now. Treaties would be signed, war would have been stopped, and the goals of the Federation would have moved forward. The differences were minor in this reality where the Princess of Themyscira had once again loved a Captain, albeit an entirely different one. One of those differences was a picture that still resides in her office till this day. In it, the two of them are sitting next to each other, outside near a mountain range. He, in rare form, had the beginnings of a beard which is nearly entirely grey. She is laughing while he beams at her. Whatever joke he told had long since left her memory, but Diana can still remember the smell of pine from that trip. 

No, it did not matter to the universe if she loved him. 

But it mattered to hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The epilogue will be posted to tomorrow, probably. Maybe tonight. I'm writing it right now, and I may or may not have teared up several times. I hope you like it. But this is in case you saw the chapter count and noticed that there was still one left and wondering where it was.


	29. Epilogue

In a shimmer of light, Diana blinked and saw a transporter room with several people standing in it waiting for her and her companion. 

“Commander Prince, Ambassador Spock, welcome aboard,” said a bald man with a formal British accent. “My name is Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the Enterprise.”

He held himself with all the seriousness of his voice. Beside him stood a taller man with a thick beard.

“Thank you, captain,” nodded Diana. Spock raised his hand in the Ta’al, which both men reciprocated. 

“This,” said Picard, gesturing to the man next to him, “is my first officer, William Riker.”

“An honor to have you both on board,” he said, smiling. 

They began walking down the hall. 

“I assume you are tired after your trip,” said Picard, leading the way, “so I thought we might take you to Ten Forward to relax for a moment before you settle in.”

“What is Ten Forward?” asked Spock who had now aged so much, he was barely distinguishable from the first Ambassador Spock she had known. 

“It’s where the crew and other people on the ship come to relax, the hub of our social activity, as it were,” informed Riker. “I think you'll quite enjoy it.”

“However, we would be happy to first go somewhere more formal, if that is your preference, Commander,” said Picard. 

“No, no,” Diana waved her hand. “That sounds just fine, doesn't it Spock?” 

He nodded, keeping in step with her. 

After a short ride in the turbolift, they entered a room with dim lighting and plenty of comfortable looking chairs and tables. There was a bar in one section, and many people milled about. Some were sitting, playing a game of chess with each other, others had drinks. Several dates appeared to be happening. Picard escorted them to a table with four open seats. 

“I must say,” Picard began as they all sat, Riker doing some strange maneuver with his leg over the chair, “it was quite the honor to have you choose the Enterprise as your first return to a Starfleet vessel after so many years. I hope the next three weeks of observation will be useful to you as you resume your role as Commander in Chief.”

“I'm sure they will,” said Diana. “And as far as my choice in the Enterprise, well I can’t imagine choosing any other ship.” She smiled, glancing over at Spock. 

“Of course it will be interesting to hear from Ambassador Spock here,” asserted Riker, “as you spent so much of your career aboard an Enterprise yourself!” 

Spock nodded. “From what I understand you are certainly living up to the standards of prior ships in both quality of performance and… strangeness of encounters.”

Riker laughed at that. “Oh, I don't know, I learned about your missions back at The Academy, and I don't know if anyone can live up to that level of adventure, though we try.” He took a sip of one of the drinks that someone had brought to the table. “Besides, you had the legend himself captaining your ship! What must it have been like to be James T. Kirk’s first officer?” Riker looked off into the distance, and then back to Picard, “Not that I don’t love serving under you, Captain.”

“No offense taken,” he said. “I too was captivated in my youth by his adventures, as I'm sure was many Starfleet Cadet.”

A funny feeling stirred in Diana, however her face showed none of it. 

“Are all the stories true?” Riker asked Spock. 

“You would need to cite a specific instance for me to assert how factual it was,” responded Spock. 

“Oh all of them. The giant hand! Tribbles! Didn't your CMO once bring him back to life with a man’s blood?” asked Riker. 

Diana shifted in her seat and Spock said, “I believe all of those were documented and can be found in Starfleet records.”

“Perhaps Ambassador Spock is not interested in recounting old stories, Number One?” Picard said gently. 

“Yes, I'm sorry. It's just, the man always seemed rather unreal, more of a myth, like the cowboys of old earth. Always off to fight the villain, outsmart the odds, and win the heart of a beautiful girl,” Riker shook his head. “It's the stuff young boys dream of.”

Diana sipped her drink, avoiding Spock’s gaze. 

“But then again we have a myth right before us!” continued Riker, waving at Diana. “I must say ma'am, when they teach us about you in school, they never say just how stunning you are.”

“Likely because it is not relevant information to her many historical contributions,” said Spock. Diana fought a smile off at this. 

“Well, I'm sure they do their best to cover all the parts of my life they see fit,” she said politely. 

“You spent quite a bit of time with the Enterprise and its crew during the Klingon Peace Accord negotiations if I'm remembering my history,” said Picard. “Is that when you and Ambassador Spock began your working relationship?”

“Diana had actually worked with my father for many years and was instrumental in forming New Vulcan, however it was the year she spent aboard the Enterprise in 2265 in which we began our own professional relationship,” informed Spock. 

“Oh Spock, so formal,” she smiled. “That was the year we became friends.”

Spock nodded at this. 

“I didn't know you spent extended time on the Enterprise!” said Riker. 

“Yes, now I remember. I believe that is why the Federation selected you initially for the Peace Talks, correct? As back then they were not aware of your true...nature?” asked Picard. 

“That is true,” Diana agreed. 

“So you were acquainted with the Enterprise’s adventures and Captain Kirk as well as Ambassador Spock, here!” said Riker. 

“Yes, I knew him,” she said, her stomach doing a small flip. 

“Sir, beg your pardon,” a tall Klingon man had just approached. He wore a gold Starfleet uniform. “But I heard who was coming aboard, and I was hoping to meet Commander Prince in person.”

“Ah yes, Commander Prince, this is my chief tactical officer and security chief, Lieutenant Worf,” introduced Picard. 

Diana had stood while Picard was talking, a look of joy emanating from her face. “Yes,” she smiled, “I know who you are. You were the first Klingon to ever graduate from the Academy.”

“Yes, I was,” he responded in his deep voice. “Ma’am it is the highest honor for me to be able to meet you. You are a legend within my people, and I know that it is because of you that I stand aboard this ship today.”

Tears were in Diana’s eyes, as she responded in Klingon. “ _The honor is mine. Much was sacrificed to achieve what we did, but as I look at your face, I see it was all worth it._ ”

Worf looked a little shocked at this, not knowing what to say, so he simply bowed. 

“Captain?” came a voice from the insignia on Picard’s chest. It was a young voice. 

“Yes, ensign Crusher?” Picard said, tapping the communicator. 

“You’re needed on the bridge,” he responded. 

“On my way,” Picard announced standing. “I was hoping to go over your schedule for the next few weeks, but that will have to wait until later. In the meantime,” he looked at Riker and then to Worf, “Number One, Lieutenant, why don’t you show our guests to their quarters?”

They nodded. As they left Ten Forward, Riker led Spock in one direction, and Worf took Diana in another. 

“Have you enjoyed your time on the Enterprise?” Diana asked Worf as they walked down the hall. 

“Yes, ma'am. Quite immensely,” Worf stated. 

“And have you found there is much for you to adjust to? Culturally?” she inquired. 

“Not, perhaps, as much as another of my kind may find. I was orphaned as a child and adopted by a human family, so most of my cultural adjustments came earlier in life,” he informed her. 

Diana nodded as they arrived at her room. “Nonetheless, you are quite remarkable in your accomplishments, and I hope it paves the way for many more like you.”

“Thank you ma'am.” Worf pointed into the room. “Your things have been brought here, and if there is anything else I can do, please let me know.”

Diana smiled and thanked him, and he left back down the way he came. 

Now that she was alone, the smile on her face faded a little. She walked over to the window, watching the stars fly by. She touched the edge of the ship, ever so lightly. It really looked nothing like the Enterprise she had known a hundred years before, but part of it felt the same. Diana kept expecting Jim to come bounding down the hallway, exclaiming about some planet they had found. 

But it was 2367, and Jim had been gone for well over fifty years now. She sighed, looking out into space. 

 

Jim had indeed accepted the captain's chair back on the Enterprise, and in 2268, they had taken back into the stars. Due to the nature of the mission, they often went months without speaking, and even years without seeing each other, but somehow, whenever he came back, it was like he had just left yesterday. 

“You will not believe what Bones said at dinner the other day,” he’d announce, walking into her office. Her face would light up, and she would grab his shirt and close the door. 

This would go on for years and years. 

In 2270, Rosa Verde would graduate from the Academy. She had done it in three years, just like Jim. For the initial few years of the Enterprise’s continuing mission, Jim had just had a rotating bunch of navigators. Sulu kept trying to gently tell him that he needed a permanent replacement for Chekov, but Jim would just wave his hand and say, “I know, I know. I'll get to it.” Rosa had taken Jim up on his offer to tour the Enterprise a year before she graduated when they had been back on earth for a conference. He had realized then that she was quite the impressive engineer, and when he heard she had finished, he immediately offered her the job of navigator. 

When she had gotten the message, Rosa had run crying tears of joy into Diana’s office. 

“Did you do this?” she had asked, hugging Diana. 

“No! I didn’t even know he was going to pick you, although you are the clear choice,” she said, putting her hands on her face and kissing her forehead. 

She had called Jim right after she left. 

“You picked Rosa for navigator?” she had exclaimed in joy. 

“Thought that would be a nice surprise,” he had smiled back. “Was she happy?” 

“Oh, you have no idea. She might faint her first day, just so you know,” said Diana. 

“I’ll keep Bones on the bridge,” he had laughed. 

 

The Enterprise and its crew solidified their status as living legends even more as each year passed. Their missions were almost immediately taught at the Academy, and there was never such a competitive posting as one on that ship.

They fought for those in need of protection, discovered unimaginable strangeness, and were constantly accidentally traveling in time. OII did eventually open up an office of Temporal Investigations, and to this day, agents from it bitterly mutter about James T. Kirk and all the paperwork he caused for them. 

Jim and Diana never settled down, per say. They were not settle down kind of people. But there was never really anyone else. Jim was filled with joy and was so wonderfully human to her, and for Jim, well, one simply did not stop loving such a remarkable being as Diana. 

They were technically married on one planet. 

“So,” he had begun in an incredibly garbled call, “you know we’ve been trying to bring Dandia into the Federation for a while now. It’s incredibly important, resource wise. They have so many-”

“Jim, as I was the one who assigned the Enterprise to stay there and act as a diplomatic liaison until they were fully inducted, I don't need you to recount for me why this is important.” She was working on a variety of paperwork that her assistant kept handing her. “Why are you calling?”

“Well,” Jim said laughing nervously, “it would seem they don't like me.”

“Last I checked you can make anyone like you. It’s one of you many talents,” she said, mouthing “thank you” to her assistant, as she took away some more folders. 

“Yes, well, they don't like me for a very specific reason. See, they're a very conservative group here, and they don't think it's appropriate that a man of my age is unmarried,” he informed her.

“Jim…” she said, suspicion in her voice. 

“I may have told them that I was married, but they don’t believe me,” he admitted. 

“I'm sure there's someone on that ship who will pretend to be your spouse,” she said, eyeing her monitor. 

“Well, you say that, and it sounds like the obvious choice now, but in the moment when I was trying to prove it to them I may or may not have just said that you were my wife,” he grinned apologetically. “They want you to come out.”

“Jim!” she yelled, waving out her assistant who had walked back in with more paperwork. “I can't just come Dandia!”

“It’s for a month, maybe two tops! Starfleet won't fall apart! Besides, this is very important work we're doing here,” he said in a mock serious tone, and then quickly switched back to a smile. “Come on, we can get hitched and I'll show you their three moons.”

She sighed, but smiled. “This is not turning into another year long trip! Two months tops, and then I am back in San Francisco.”

“I swear!” he promised, arms up in the air. 

It ended up being three months. 

They held on to these longer bursts of time they had. The longest one they ever got while he was on the mission was for 18 months. The Enterprise had had a bad run in with some Romulans, and when it came back for repairs engineering had asked if they could do a full overhaul of the ship for some much needed updates. 

Jim taught battle tactics at the Academy during that year and a half, with several trips to various places Diana insisted he see. 

The longest they ever went without seeing each other was four years. 

In 2281 the Enterprise fell into what would eventually be known as The In Between. It was a part of the universe that existed between realities, and it took them four years to escape from it. While they were there, there was nothing. No contact with the outside world, and as far as Starfleet was concerned, they had no idea what had happened to the Enterprise. It had just disappeared. They were declared MIA after a year of radio silence. 

As much as it would have been nice for Diana to have some assurance that they were not all lost forever, there was no magical gut feeling that told her they would all be ok, and that Jim would come back. She was as in the dark as everyone else. When they finally did return, she excused herself from the meeting announcing the ship had been discovered so she could go weep tears of joy in the hall. 

 

“Well, good news Captain, the Enterprise doesn't appear to have any notable damage. A little depleted, but after a few weeks of restocking, we should have you back on your feet and out hopping from planet to planet,” said one of the Starfleet engineers in a debriefing meeting back in San Francisco. 

“No,” said Diana flatly.

The room turned to her.

“The Enterprise will be given an extended shore leave. A minimum of six months,” she announced. 

Jim fought down a smile. 

“Six months! Commander, why? There’s no real reason to have them back here that long. After all, they only had a month after their five year mission,” someone else pointed out.

“I think,” Jim interjected, “that the psychological effect of our stay in that void may have worn on my crew. An extended shore leave may be exactly what they need.”

“But there's nothing in the psych evals that indicate-”

Diana stood up, cutting them off. “Six months. End of discussion.” She picked up her paperwork and said, “You're dismissed.”

After everyone had left, Diana glared at Jim. “You're not leaving my sight for the entire time your home.”

He chuckled. “What on earth makes you think I would want to?”

He reached out and held her hand and she visibly relaxed. 

“Diana,” he said in a low voice, “do you have any idea how boring it was in that void?”

She burst into laughter. 

“No! No! Stop laughing!” he protested. “It was the worst thing ever! I kept having to hear about how many ‘fascinating readings’ we were getting from Spock and you know what, they were not fascinating! There was nothing! Nothing! Endless nothing! I thought I was gunna die I was so bored.”

She kept kissing his face as he continued to complain, laughing in relief that he was ok. 

 

Over the years of the Enterprise trekking across the stars, Jim would have plenty of his own adventures, but he would also have many the same as his other reality counterpart. He still ended up neck deep in Tribbles. He still had to go to the past to pick up some whales. He still got dragged by Spock’s insane half brother no one knew about to the end of the universe, where he still yelled at ‘God.’

Diana took to staying in his apartment while he was gone, and eventually just never left. It’s still her San Francisco residence to this day. 

But time continued to tick on, and the people of the Enterprise saw their lives change. 

Sulu was the first to leave in 2286. His daughter had just had her first child, and he told Jim that, though he regretted nothing, he hadn't been around as much as he would have liked when she was growing up, and wished to begin his retirement to spend it with his family. 

Two years later, Scotty was permanently grounded after a particularly bad engineering accident. He was placed as head of the Engineering department at the Academy and maintained his title of CEO for whenever the Enterprise was back on earth. 

Bones tried retiring several times, insisting it was time for some peace and quiet, however he was never gone for more than a month. Jim kept dragging him back. 

In 2292, a woman by the name of Aanya Chopra decided to run for President of the the Federation. Uhura was sent the following message. 

_Lieutenant Commander Nyota Uhura,_

_My name is Aanya Chopra, but I imagine you already know who I am. I am writing because I have a request of you. If I win the election in the coming months, I would like you to be my Vice President._

_This may feel like a sudden and strange request, but I do not believe that there are enough people who understand and have served in Starfleet amongst the decision makers in the Federation. It is only theory for most of us. Because of this, I have sought out the wisdom of someone with experience beyond my own._

_I have studied your career, and I believe your role as Chief Communications Officer is a natural fit for someone working with senior Federation officials. You have spent your entire career working with diplomats, scientists, rulers, and warlords, having to talk with them all. Perhaps it is not the first thing people think of when they consider your position, but of the entire crew, you would have been the one to spend much of your time in discussions with all of these people._

_I hope you will give serious thought to my offer. The Federation would be lucky to have you._

After several weeks of deliberation, Uhura accepted her offer. When she won a few months later, she finally left her post on the Enterprise. Spock decided to go with her. 

“Obviously you’ll go,” said Jim, a few tears in his eyes. They were sitting in his office on the Enterprise.“Naturally you can't stay here.”

Spock nodded. “New Vulcan is in search of another Ambassador to earth and they believe I am the natural choice. I will be accepting the position upon our return.”

“You'll do wonderfully, I'm sure,” he said swallowing. 

“Jim, I hope you know this changes nothing,” he said. “I have been and always shall be yours.”

Jim had nodded, doing his best not to cry. 

“I would recommend lieutenant Verde as my replacement. She will perform the duty admirably,” Spock said. 

“Yes Spock, I think you're right,” he smiled. 

Rosa served as his First Officer for three years. 

In 2295, Jim was sitting with Diana in Italy at the Verde’s gelato store while he was on shore leave. He was watching Roberta, now well into her 70’s, scoop out a bowl of pistachio for a child. 

“Do you think Roberta would like to see Rosa at the helm?” he asked. 

Diana turned to him slowly. “What are you saying, Jim?”

“I'm saying that maybe it's time I take that Vice Admiral promotion,” he said, smiling. 

A look of surprise crossed her face. 

“You want to stay on earth?” she asked. 

“No!” he insisted. “I'll be one of those admirals that goes on inspections and trains the new cadets. It's just,” he sighed, “it may be time to hand the Enterprise to the next generation.”

Diana grinned. “You'll still be around more often.”

“Mmm,” he smiled back at her. “Maybe my grey hair has me reevaluating where I'd like to spend my golden years.”

 

After four years of serving, President Chopra resigned due to health issues. Uhura had realized she had quite the knack for politics, and decided to run so she would not only completed Chopra’s term, but also serve another herself. 

She won in a landslide. 

For years, Uhura was the president of Federation and Diana Commander in Chief of Starfleet. People would remember this as one of the great high points in history. 

Jim did indeed become one of those Admirals that was always off in space on some inspection or training or what not. Seeing the new cadets inherit their place in the stars brought him a deep sense of satisfaction. Somehow, he always managed to find an excuse for Spock and Bones and why they needed to come. 

“Why on earth do you need a retired doctor, or at least one that is TRYING to retire, to come with you! And doesn't he have trade meetings or something?” Bones yelled, waving at Spock. 

“I have found trying to reason with him on this matter to be a waste of time,” said Spock, who usually agreed when Jim would call him insisting it would be a great learning experience for the cadets to hear from him. 

 

James T. Kirk left the universe in 2310. He was 78. 

 

Three days before he died, he had been with Diana and had said with a deep sigh, “I don't know if I was built to get old.” To be honest, thanks to medical advances, he was a pretty spry 78 year old. His age was not nearly what it once would have been hundreds of years before. Still, his soul was always young and he never quite did become comfortable confronting his own mortality. 

A training mission had been underway and they had come under fire from a Romulan ship. They were boarded, and he had put himself between a young ensign and some phaser fire. 

Bones told Diana that he had said to him and Spock the day they got on board, “Doesn’t he remind you of Chekov?”

When deciding what to do with him, Diana had said, “He was born in space, he died in space, and to there he will be returned.”

And so, like the sailors of old, Jim Kirk was buried at sea, rather a sea of stars. 

At his funeral, Diana read The Old Astronomer. 

_Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;_  
_I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night._

 

Diana sat by the ocean for three days, nearly unmoving after his funeral. 

It was a strange grief she felt. From the time she had stayed on board the Enterprise to the end, he had been a fixture of her life for forty five years. Often her grief in death came because it had come too soon. But they had had so much more time. He was by far her longest relationship since entering the world of men. The grief she felt now was was not that a small sapling has been ripped up from the earth before it could take root, but rather an old oak that had burrowed deep inside had now left. 

Uhura eventually came and found her and sat down, watching the waves. 

“I think it's time for me to find my mother,” Diana said, after they had been there for a while. 

“I thought you couldn't go home,” Uhura said, reaching out to touch her hand. 

“Once, a long time ago I tried. I tried to find my way back, but I just got…” she waved her hand. “I think it's time to try again.” Diana turned to Uhura. 

“Where will you start?” she asked. 

“I have this tablet… I’m going to go back to where I found it. It was in the cave the Oracle of the Gods lived in, perhaps she can give me a different answer now.”

Diana appeared before the Federation main council the next day. 

“I have requested you here today to announce that I will be taking a sabbatical, and I cannot say for how long. For now consider it indefinite, but not permanent. I promise I will return. If anything truly dire comes, I will still be in contact with President Uhura.”

They weren't exactly thrilled with this, but what could any of them say?

 

Diana had made her way back to the cave she had discovered so many years before. It was nearly completely empty, even the pools were drained. However, in the center of one lay a tablet like the ones she had seen when she had first come. She took it, and for the next several months worked tirelessly on following the directions held upon it. It led her all over the world, until finally, she came to a mountain top. There sat the old woman with white eyes. 

“The child of Zeus has returned…” she said. 

“The daughter of Hippolyta wishes to see her mother,” Diana responded. 

“You wish to leave the world of men?” she asked, the same question she had posed to her the first time. 

“Yes, if only for a while,” Diana responded. 

The Oracle looked at her, and then slowly smiled. 

“You have believed again. You have returned to your destiny. For this I will grant you your wish,” said the oracle. 

“Really?!” Diana exclaimed. 

She nodded and then said, “Climb down the mountain and go to the water’s edge. There will be a boat. Unfurl the sail and let the wind take you to your home.”

“Thank you! Oh, thank you.” Diana cried. 

She sailed across the water for two days until she came to a deep thick fog. For a moment she thought to steer around it, but stopped herself. She let the boat go, and a few moments later had passed through a wall of light. 

 

“Your majesty,” said one of Hippolyta's guards, “something is approaching the island.”

The queen grabbed her shield and sword. “Grab the others. Let us see what it is.”

Hippolyta rode to the edge of one of the cliffs with her several soldiers. The one that had come to find her pointed across the water. “There.”

She squinted, trying to make out what came toward them. It appeared to be a boat. As it came closer, she saw long dark hair whipping in the wind. “No,” her breath caught in her chest. “That's impossible.” But the boat came closer and she could clearly see her daughter upon it. 

“DIANA!” she called down from the edge of the cliff. Hippolyta leapt from her horse and ran down to the beach. Her feet were light on the sand, and she threw off her cape that was slowing her. With a loud splash she hit the water. Diana’s boat was close enough now that she could walk. She jumped into the water that came up to her waist and pushed through it to get to her mother. After 400 years of being apart, Diana fell weeping into her arms. Hippolyta grasped her desperately, saying, “You’ve come home, you've come home,” over and over. She kissed her hair and held Diana’s face in her hands. “Oh, my beautiful daughter. You’ve come back to me.”

Eventually, Diana grabbed her boat, and pulled it to shore, her mother not letting go of her once. They hiked back up to the island and dried off. 

After many more people rushed her, thrilled to welcome her back, they finally all sat, eager to hear stories from her time away. 

She told them everything, from the atomic bomb to the moon landing to World War III to First Contact. 

“They are complicate creatures, filled with hate and rage and love and compassion. They astound me and I have great faith in what they can become. I have watched it. I told you, beings from other worlds have come, and now mankind is not alone. They work with these other worlds to explore, create, and protect. They do hard things and push themselves to be better than they are.”

“But what of you Diana? What have you done for the past four hundred years?” asked Hippolyta.

Diana began again, this time telling them of the people she knew, places she had traveled, wars she had fought. When she got to the part about spending a year running around the stars, as she had said in a quiet promise years before, she told them, “and I fell in love with a man made of starlight.”

Diana spent most of her time on the island for many years, though she frequently went back to the rest of the world. Though she did not work with either Starfleet or the Federation, she did not want to miss things like Sulu’s granddaughter's fencing tournaments or the birth of Spock and Uhura’s first grandchild. 

In 2320, when Uhura was 87, Diana brought her back to Themyscira. She wanted her to witness this place she had told her so much about over the years. In 2345, one of their great grandsons married a Klingon woman, and a few years later they had a baby girl named T’Pand. As Uhura lay on her deathbed, she asked Diana to watch over her, as she worried that a child that was part human, part Vulcan, and part Klingon would be a war of conflict on the inside. Diana promised she would. Uhura passed the next day. 

Time ticked on, and slowly came to claim Sulu and Scotty as well. 

Eventually all that was left of the original crew was Bones and Spock. Spock was no surprise, as he was part Vulcan, however Leonard McCoy’s apparent refusal to die was a shock to many. 

“I think he’s trying to out live you,” Diana had said to Spock one day over lunch. 

“That would be illogical, as his biology dictates that he cannot,” responded Spock. 

“Do you know he still does medical inspections?” she said leaning in. “On ships. In space!”

“I am aware,” said Spock. “For whatever else he may be, he has always been a dedicated physician.”

Diana went to visit Bones often. He always instead that she didn't have to, but if there was too much time between visits, she could expect a call from him saying, “I'm just checking to make sure you didn't fall off a mountain, or whatever it is you get up to these days.”

Then, about a year ago, in 2366, his doctors had called from the hospital after an episode and told her that he was on his last legs. 

“We’re talking a few days, maybe a week. He's 138. It’s time,” one had said. 

She had walked back into his room where he lay in bed. 

“Saying I'm not long for this world, aren't they?” he asked her. She just nodded. “Well, not all of us can live forever. Gotta go sometime,” he sighed. 

Diana pulled up a chair and sat next to him. 

“You know what I just hate?” he asked her.

“Space, disease, danger, the new replicator programming…” Diana rattled off. 

“Yes, yes, all that, but I'm talking about that damned poem they always say when people are dying,” he said. “The one that goes ‘rage, rage against the dying of the light.’”

“You mean Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas?” she asked with an amused expression. 

“Yeah, that one. Why can't I go gentle into that good night? I've spent my whole life in rage and fire and getting shot at and dragged back into chaos by…” he trailed off, looked at her and then said, “well anyways. I'm a country doctor who just wanted some peace and quiet, but I'm gunna leave this world surrounded by blinking lights and buttons and germs.”

Diana looked at him. “Do you want to come somewhere with me?”

“Oh, Diana, I don't have it in me for any more adventures,” he said.

“Then I will carry you,” she promised. 

She lifted him, placed him in a wheelchair, told the attending nurse they were just going for a walk, and then took him out of the hospital. 

“Where are you talking me?” he asked. 

“Where all is quiet and there is only peace.”

 

Two days later, her boat washed ashore the beaches of Themyscira. 

“What is this place?” he asked in wonder.

“This is my home,” she smiled, lifting him down. “This is Themyscira.”

Hippolyta approached on horseback. “Diana, why have you brought a man to our shores?”

“I forgot,” said Bones, “but isn't this a ‘no boys allowed’ situation?”

“Mother, this man is my friend. He is a doctor, and has given his life to healing others. He is good and kind and I wish to let him pass into the next world in peace.” Diana held out her arm so he could lean on her for support. 

Hippolyta looked at him, and then nodded. 

The next two days, the two of them just took walks around the island, Diana letting Bones feel the sun and breeze on his face. The air he smelled was clean and the only sounds he heard were birds and water. As they sat at the edge of a cliff and watched the sun go down over the water, Bones turned to Diana. 

“Did Jim ever tell you about the time Spock’s crazy ass half brother dragged us to the end of the universe?” he asked.

“Yes,” she smiled, remembering the day he had come home and without even saying hello and demanded, _Did you know Spock had a brother? Cause I didn't!_

“He tell you that Sybok was looking for God? Trying to get his power, or knowledge or something?”

“Something like that,” she said. 

“Do you know what Jim did when we got there? When we were put in front of, for all we could tell, God himself?” Bones asked. 

“No, I don't,” she said, still smiling. 

“He yelled at him! He said, ‘You're God? Prove it!’” Bones threw his arms up in the air. “Of all the Jim Kirk things to do!”

Diana laughed. “That sounds about right.”

“Well, I said, ‘Jim you don't meet God and ask him for I.D.!’ and he just looked at me and said, ‘That's not God.’” Bones suddenly turned serious. “Then he looked back at the thing, this glaring burst of light and yelled, ‘I have known god. I have loved god. And you are nothing compared to her.’” Bones shook his head. “End of the damn universe and he’s still yelling about you.” He looked over at her. Tears had begun to appear in her eyes. “That man worshiped you, you know?” She wiped her eyes, and nodded. 

“Sorry, didn't mean to make you cry,” he said. 

“It's fine,” she said, breathing in and smiling again. 

“I was on that new Enterprise a few months back. That thing, well, I don't know if it’s as good as ours, but I think it could do great things. And so could its crew.” He squinted at her. “You should go see it.”

“Alright, I'll try,” she promised. 

He nodded, satisfied with this. 

“Thank you,” he said. “For bringing me here. Thank you for letting me have a little quiet at the end.”

“Of course,” she said, placing her hand on his. 

 

Leonard McCoy died the next morning. He is buried on the eastern hills that overlook the sunrise. 

 

Diana went and found Hippolyta a few days later. “Mother, I think it is time for me to return to the world of men.”

“You return all the time,” said Hippolyta. 

“No, I mean my place in the world of men. It is time for me to go back. I am their defender, and I promised I would return. I feel that it is time,” said Diana. 

Her mother reached over and touched her face. “Promise you will not be gone for so long this time?” she asked. 

“I promise.”

 

The door to her quarters slid open with a whoosh. It was Spock. 

“Hello,” she said. “Odd being back on the Enterprise?” she asked. 

“It is indeed. I thought perhaps you would like to join me for dinner,” he offered. 

“Of course Spock, I never turn down food with you,” she smiled. 

“We could return to Ten Forward,” he stated. 

Diana wrinkled her nose. “It’s nice, but I don’t really want to talk to anyone other than you right now. The rooms are big, and there's a table here. Do you want to just stay?”

Spock looked around, and then said, “I would be agreeable to dining here.”

They got food out of the replicator and sat down. 

“Diana, I have realized that you have been returned to your place at the head of Starfleet for almost a year now and I have not said this, but it is good to have you back,” said Spock. 

“Thank you,” said Diana. “Although I was never really gone for you.”

“True, however I noticed a significant decrease in quality of leadership while you were away, so it is to all of our benefits that you have resumed as Commander in Chief.”

“It is good to be back,” she said, then asked, “So what do you think of the captain? He’s very serious.”

“Captain Picard is quite capable from my understanding, and is considered one of the most accomplished officer’s in the fleet.” Spock informed her. “I expect only great things from him.”

“And his first officer, Riker?” she asked, taking a bite of food. 

“He is...fine.” Spock said. Diana laughed. 

“Well why don't you say how you really feel?” She continued chuckling into her food. 

“He has an odd way of sitting in his chair,” Spock observed. 

“You mean the leg thing? Yeah, what was that?” she said. 

“An illogical way to sit down,” Spock responded. 

Diana smiled and then sighed. “Oh, we should just admit that we don't like him because he kept asking about Jim.”

“It is not simply that he kept asking about him, it was the gross mischaracterizations, although he is not unique. I have run across quite a few individuals who seem to be under the impression Jim liked to ‘shoot first and ask questions later,’” said Spock. 

“An illogical strategy if there ever was one,” she said, teasing. 

“As I've seen time pass, the myth and legend seems to move farther and farther away from the man,” he remarked. 

“Oh, it's not as fun to remember him as being kind and excited about space,” she shrugged. “They've taken the antics of his youth and exaggerated them to the rest of his life.”

“But it is not factual,” said Spock. 

“Spock,” she sighed, “men like Riker, they take their childhood heros and project the kind of men they want to be on to them. They don't seek to see the people they really were.”

“And this does not bother you?” Spock asked. “I would think some of it would.”

Diana shook her head. “I had the man. Let history have the legend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm pleased with where this has ended and I think this works well as a standalone story, however I've received several prompts that I think I'd like to write (for example I got one for another episode chapter but from the crew's perspective) and also I have given myself quite a bit of leeway to come back and write more things that happened in the time between the Klingon treaties and Jim exiting this universe. In fact I already have several nauseatingly fluffy head canons so I might do some drabbles. 
> 
> Anyways, I'll make this part of a series on here so it will be easier to find when I do write things. 
> 
> ALSO
> 
> I'm excited to announce that I've found an artist who has agreed to do some illustration for this and I'll be posting it on my tumblr, so check over at thewanderinguniverse for that, coming soon. 
> 
> Thanks for coming along for this ride guys. It's been great.


End file.
